Your first session is an opportunity for a tutor to understand your child's current reading level, learning style, and specific challenges—whether that's decoding, fluency, or comprehension. The tutor will ask questions about what your child enjoys reading and what frustrates them, then work together on a short activity to assess skills. This foundation helps create a personalized plan tailored to your child's needs and goals.

Tutors use evidence-based strategies like guided questioning, visualization, and summarization to help students actively engage with texts rather than passively reading. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction allows tutors to model these strategies, practice them together, and give immediate feedback on your child's understanding. Over time, students develop confidence and independence in understanding what they read.

Fluency is reading smoothly and at an appropriate pace; comprehension is understanding what you've read. Both are essential—if a student reads too slowly or haltingly, they use up mental energy on decoding rather than meaning-making. Tutors address both skills together, helping students build automaticity with words so they can focus on understanding and enjoying the story.

Tutors assess your child's current reading level using informal observations and guided reading benchmarks, then select texts that are challenging enough to build skills but accessible enough to maintain confidence and enjoyment. They also consider your child's interests—a student excited about dinosaurs or adventure stories will engage more deeply. This personalized approach keeps reading motivating rather than frustrating.

Yes. Personalized tutoring is particularly effective for students who are struggling, because tutors can slow down, isolate specific skills, and provide the repetition and encouragement that larger classroom settings can't always offer. Tutors work at your child's pace, celebrate small wins, and help rebuild confidence alongside skills. Early intervention through tutoring can prevent reading difficulties from compounding in later grades.

Most tutors use a balanced literacy approach that combines phonics (decoding sounds), sight word recognition, and comprehension strategies based on what works best for each student. Some children need more explicit phonics instruction; others benefit from more exposure to whole texts. Tutors adjust their approach based on how your child learns best, rather than following a one-size-fits-all method.

Read together regularly, ask open-ended questions about what you've read, and let your child see you reading for pleasure. Tutors often suggest specific strategies and book choices tailored to your child's level and interests, so you can reinforce learning at home. Consistency matters more than duration—even 15 minutes of engaged reading daily makes a real difference.