During the first session, a tutor will assess your child's current reading level, identify specific strengths and areas for improvement, and learn about their interests and learning style. This helps create a personalized plan tailored to your child's needs—whether that's building phonics skills, improving fluency, or developing comprehension strategies. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who take time to understand each student as an individual.

Tutors use targeted strategies like asking guiding questions before, during, and after reading to help students think actively about texts. They teach techniques like predicting, visualizing, summarizing, and making connections—skills that transform passive reading into engaged learning. With personalized 1-on-1 instruction, students get immediate feedback and practice applying these strategies to books at their level, building confidence and deeper understanding.

Most students show noticeable progress in fluency and confidence within 4-6 weeks of consistent, personalized tutoring—though the timeline depends on where your child is starting and how frequently they receive instruction. Regular practice with a tutor, combined with reading at home, accelerates improvement. The key is targeted instruction that addresses your child's specific needs rather than generic practice.

Expert tutors working with Varsity Tutors have deep knowledge of reading instruction, literacy development, and age-appropriate strategies. Many have backgrounds in education, English, or specialized reading instruction. Varsity Tutors matches you with tutors who have experience working with elementary students and understand New York's curriculum standards, ensuring your child gets instruction from someone who knows how to teach reading effectively.

Yes. Personalized tutoring is especially valuable for students who are behind, because tutors can slow down, break skills into smaller steps, and build confidence alongside competency. Rather than moving at a classroom pace, tutors work at your child's speed, celebrate progress, and adjust instruction based on what's working. Many students who felt discouraged about reading discover they can learn when instruction is tailored to their needs.

Reading together daily is one of the most powerful things you can do—it builds fluency, vocabulary, and a love of reading. Ask your child questions about what they're reading, let them choose books they're interested in, and read aloud together even if they can read independently. Your tutor can suggest specific strategies and books matched to your child's level, turning home reading time into an extension of their personalized tutoring.

Varsity Tutors makes it easy to connect with an expert reading tutor for your child. You can reach out with details about your student's grade level and reading needs, and we'll match you with a tutor who's a great fit. From there, you'll schedule your first session and begin personalized instruction designed to help your child become a more confident, capable reader.