1:1 Reading Tutoring - Improve Foundational Decoding & Fluency

This session is geared to provide phonemic awareness and spelling support to students who struggle to read. 

I apply the Orton-Gillingham approach to address the reading areas of need in a structured, explicitly taught fun learning environment. Students learn through visual cues, make connections and share in discussions to understand the reading concept. 

In this 1:1 reading class I help learners improve their phonological skills. Please note that I do not follow a particular curriculum. Much of the tutoring session is derived from my classroom experience, and guided by the Common Core State Standards along with application of Orton Gillingham principles for structured reading. If you have a specific curriculum in mind, it would be great to do an Outschool search and type that curriculum name in the search bar to narrow down your search. With me, learners  go through systematic steps to identify the vowel, and consonant to apply a reading pattern. From here we work through spelling patterns, a decodable text and writing to promote reading fluency and to connect the letter/spelling rules to the sound. 

The goal is to help students to develop greater confidence. I am not teaching a curriculum or following a syllabus in this 1:1 Tutoring Session. Students are encouraged to bring any class work they need help with to support their on grade learning. This 1:1 Tutoring is reinforcement and instruction needed to close gaps that may have resulted from learning loss. 

I support learners by keeping to the same virtual classroom learning routine so they can focus on mastering the reading concept.  At the end of each session, students read a decodable text aligned to the reading concept covered during class. 

The first session starts with an informal assessment. This means I ask questions, briefly present material to gauge student awareness and understanding. Then I go from there.  I do not follow a formal assessment guide to do an informal assessment. Student performance will determine what will be done and when. It will be impractical to jump into diphthongs or suffixes if CVC/CVCe reading is not mastered. The recommended outline is suggested as a basic stage or intermediate stage determined from the principles of Orton Gillingham instruction for structured literacy, as noted below. This is a guide I believe in and employ to ensure best student outcomes. I hope these details can help you make an informed decision before enrolling your student for these 1:1 sessions.

Unit 1: Short Vowels
Demonstrate mastery of short vowels, consonant combinations CVC, definition of a syllable, closed one syllable words, digraphs /sh/, /ch/, /th/, /qu/, /wh/

Unit 2: Consonant Blends
Demonstrate mastery of the initial consonant blends: st, sm, sn, sl, sp, bl, cl, fl, gl, sc, sk

Unit 3: /r/ Consonant Blends
Demonstrate mastery of the initial consonant blends: br, cr, dr, gr, pr

Unit 4: Consonant Blends
Demonstrate mastery of the silent final consonant blends: lt, ld, lk, ft, nd, mp, nt, sk

Unit 5: Consonant Blends
Demonstrate mastery of the 3-letter initial consonant blends: spr, scr, spl, shr, thr, squ

By the end of these 5 units students are expected to read individual one-syllable words at an 85-90% accuracy rate and apply word attack skills to read CVC compound words. 

Unit 6: Double Consonants
Demonstrate mastery to read and spell words ending in double consonant letters: ff, ll, ss, zz

Unit 7: Word Endings
Demonstrate mastery to recognize and read 3-letter word endings: ank, ink, onk, unk, ang, ing, ong, ung

Unit 8: Short Vowel Patterns
Demonstrate mastery to connect /ck/, and /tch/ follows a short vowel

Unit 9: Long Vowels
Demonstrate mastery to recognize CVCe words to pronounce the long vowel sound

Unit 10: Syllables
Demonstrate mastery to read compound words with CVCe words.

By the end of these 10 units students are expected to read multi-syllablic words of varied presentations at an 85-90% accuracy rate.

Unit 11: Open Syllables
Demonstrate mastery to decode by identifying open syllable words as the first syllable ending in the long vowel sound (ex ti-ger)

These sessions continue at the intermediate stage with additional concepts that include: exceptions, suffix endings, vowel teams, more syllable division, soft c and soft g reading rules, consonant + le reading rules, and enters into vocabulary support. 

This class is for 1 learner to get the attention and help they need, to help close their foundational academic gaps and to help build their reading confidence. 

Please consider the supportive Reading Comprehension course if your learner needs help with comprehension tasks, answering multiple choice questions, or writing a reading response answer.

Please send a message if you have any questions.