How To Know It's Time To Look For Reading Tutoring Programs

We know reading skills are important, but exactly why should parents be quick to address reading issues the moment they are identified? Don’t all students learn at their own pace? It’s true that every student has his or her academic strengths and weaknesses, and may pick up some skills more quickly than others; however, if your elementary student is reading below grade level or receiving report card marks that indicate under-performance, taking action is imperative.  Ignoring a reading deficiency can set the stage for struggles for the rest of the academic year and beyond.

When struggling readers become more inclined to avoid reading out of frustration and lack of confidence they will continue to limit their progress. A negative attitude toward reading can snowball into a lifelong aversion to reading, which can put your student at a significant disadvantage. Poor reading skills are likely to impede on an individual’s chances of scoring well on all areas of standardized tests.

In addition, reading skills aren’t confined to the elementary student’s reading lesson, nor will they be once your student enters middle school and high school. Mathematics, science, social studies and history all depend on reading skills like textual analysis and expository writing. The truth is that success in reading translates to greater success in all academic subjects.

So how can you provide your struggling reader with adequate help? Turn to a reading tutor. A reading tutor is the most effective way to successfully address a reader’s weakness in phonetics, fluency and comprehension. A reading tutor can conduct in-depth assessment of a reader’s abilities and provide individualized one-on-one instruction. Plus, at a well-respected tutoring service like The Huntington Learning Center, where our proven strategies have warranted success for over thirty-five years, parents are sure to see results quickly and students will gain new confidence in the classroom.

How do parents know when it’s time to seek the help of a reading tutor?

1. A reading tutor may be necessary if the reading instruction he or she does receive does not fully address their specific needs.
2. If your elementary student can read with fluency and accuracy, but does not comprehend what he or she is reading, your student is a struggling reader and could benefit from the help of a reading tutor.
3. A conversation with your child’s teacher is also an easy way to tell if your student is struggling with reading, as is your student’s sudden disinterest in reading, tendency to read aloud memorized words but skip over sight words, or inability to read fluently from diverse passages.
4. If you observe your student to be a strong reader at home with grade-level reading abilities but his or her grades don’t fully reflect this, the stress of the classroom environment may be hindering your student’s performance. A reading tutor can help build confidence for reading out loud.
5. Keep in mind that reading tutors are not just for students who are at risk for falling behind; if your elementary student is an advanced reader, a tutoring program could help him or her excel even further with one-on-one instruction delivered at the pace that works best.

These are just some of the many ways parents may be able to identify their student as a struggling reader. For more information on tutoring services or resources, or to arrange for a reading tutor for your young reader, contact the Huntington Learning Center today by visiting our website or calling 1-800-CAN-LEARN.