Are you looking for clear, structured reading help for a child who is guessing, falling behind, or losing confidence

 

If reading is not clicking for your child, more practice with the same approach is often not enough.

 

Your child may be bright, curious, and eager to learn in other subjects, yet reading still feels unusually difficult. They may guess from the first letter, forget words they read correctly the day before, or rely on you to supply words when they get stuck.

 

Over time, the frustration can affect more than reading. A child who once enjoyed books may begin avoiding them. Homework may lead to tears or arguments. You may wonder whether your child needs more practice, a different curriculum, testing, or one-on-one help.

 

I begin by finding the specific skills that are missing. Then I provide direct, structured instruction in the sounds, phonograms, spelling patterns, and word-analysis skills your child needs to become a more accurate and confident reader.

 

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Does this sound like your child?

 

Your child may need a different kind of reading support if they:

• Guess at words from the first letter or from a picture

• Memorize words for a short time but forget them later

• Read a word correctly on one page and miss it on the next

• Struggle to hear or separate the sounds in words

• Have difficulty remembering phonograms or spelling patterns

• Read slowly and laboriously

• Avoid reading or say they are “bad at it”

• Become tired or frustrated after a short reading assignment

• Understand stories when someone reads aloud but struggle to read them independently

• Make little progress despite regular practice

 

​These struggles do not mean your child is lazy or incapable. They often mean that an important part of the reading process has not yet been taught clearly enough.

 

Many struggling readers need clearer instruction, not more pressure.

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Children are often encouraged to use pictures, context, or the first letter to figure out unfamiliar words. These strategies may appear to help in the moment, but they can also lead to guessing. A child needs a dependable way to work through a word from beginning to end. That means learning how spoken sounds connect with written letters and letter combinations. It also means understanding common spelling patterns, syllables, and the structure of words. Wanda Sanseri, author of Spell to Write and Read, emphasizes teaching reading and spelling together.

 

Instead of asking children to memorize the appearance of large numbers of words, this approach teaches them to listen carefully, identify sounds, choose the phonograms that represent those sounds, and analyze how words are built. This gives the child something more useful than a list of words to remember. It gives them a process they can use when they meet a new word.

 

A reading plan based on your child’s actual needs

 

Tutoring begins with a free reading assessment. We can assess at several areas that can affect reading progress, including

• Phonogram knowledge

• Decoding and word analysis

• Spellingoral reading accuracy

• Vocabulary

• Reading comprehension
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The goal is not simply to assign your child a grade level. The goal is to understand where the reading process is breaking down.

 

One child may know many letter sounds but struggle to blend them into words. Another may read simple words but lack the spelling knowledge needed for more advanced patterns. Another may decode accurately but need help with fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension.

 

Once I identify the missing pieces, I build instruction around them.

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What online reading lessons may include

 

Each lesson is adapted to the child, but instruction may include:

 

Phonogram review

Your child learns the letters and letter combinations that represent the sounds of English.Review is systematic and cumulative so that earlier learning is strengthened while new material is added.

 

Spelling and dictation

Spelling is not treated as a separate subject or a weekly memorization exercise. During dictation, your child listens to a word, identifies its sounds, selects the needed phonograms, writes the word, and then reads and analyzes it.

 

This sound-to-symbol work strengthens the connection between spelling and reading.

 

Word analysis

Your child learns to examine words by sound, spelling pattern, syllable, and structure.Instead of guessing, the child learns what to notice and what to do. Reading a word strictly from left to right across the page until it is mastered and has become a sight word--this is the goal.

 

Oral reading

Your child reads carefully chosen material with support and correction.The goal is to develop accuracy first, then greater ease and fluency.

 

Vocabulary, narration, and comprehension

 

Reading is more than pronouncing words.As your child’s phonogram knowledge bec omes more accurate, lessons may also include discussion, vocabulary, narration, and questions that strengthen understanding.

 

Why spelling can help a child learn to read

 

Reading and spelling work in opposite directions. When reading, a child sees written symbols and connects them with spoken sounds and meaning.

 

When spelling, the child hears a word and must choose the written symbols that represent its sounds. Practicing both directions can make the structure of words clearer.

 

Wanda Sanseri describes this as teaching children to work from sound to print rather than relying first on visual memorization. In a structured spelling lesson, the child hears, analyzes, writes, reads, and discusses the word.

 

This active process helps reveal whether the child truly understands how the word works.

 

Online tutoring can still be personal and interactive

 

Effective online tutoring is not simply a child watching a lesson on a screen.Your child works directly with me throughout the session. I listen to oral responses, watch written work, correct errors, ask questions, and adjust the lesson based on what I see. Lessons are structured, focused, and interactive.

 

Depending on your child’s needs, we may use:

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• Phonogram drills and quizzes

• Spelling dictation

• Word-marking and analysis

• Reading passages

• Narration and discussion

• Games and review activities

 

Parents also receive regular communication about progress, current areas of focus, and ways to support learning between lessons.

 

What progress can look like

 

Progress is not always dramatic from one lesson to the next. At first, you may notice smaller changes:

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• Your child pauses to analyze a word instead of immediately guessing

• They begin hearing sounds they previously missed

• They remember phonograms more consistently

• Spelling becomes more logical

• Oral reading becomes more accurate

• They recover from mistakes more independently

• Reading time becomes less emotional

 

As the underlying skills become stronger, these small changes can lead to greater fluency, comprehension, and confidence.

 

One family’s experience:

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"When we first started looking for a reading tutor, our daughter Olivia was in Kindergarten and beginning to struggle. Reading and writing weren't clicking for her the way we'd hoped, and we could tell her confidence was starting to dip.

 

We wanted someone who could meet her where she was and rebuild that foundation, and Susan Franklin turned out to be exactly the right person.The progress has been remarkable.

 

Susan focused on phonograms and sounding out words, and over time we watched Olivia go from struggling to actually reading short stories on her own.

 

The change wasn't just something we noticed at home - by the end of the school year, Olivia's Kindergarten teacher told us she was one of the best-performing readers in her class, reading better than most of the other students. That's a complete turnaround from where she started, and Susan deserves so much of the credit.

 

The lessons themselves are wonderfully smooth. Susan works with Olivia over Zoom, and I'll admit we wondered at first whether a young child would stay engaged over video - but Olivia took to it immediately and has never once been uncomfortable or distracted.

 

Susan has a gift for explaining things in a way that's clear and patient, and she keeps the sessions encouraging so that learning never feels like a chore. For a prospective family, I'd describe the experience as structured but warm: she knows exactly what she's doing, and your child feels supported the whole way through.Beyond the academic gains, what's meant the most to us is what the tutoring has done for Olivia's confidence.

 

She's proud of her reading now, and that joy carries over into how she approaches new challenges. We recommend Susan without hesitation. If your child is struggling with reading or writing, or you just want to give them a strong start, you'll be in excellent hands. We're so grateful we found her."

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                                                                                  -The L.  Family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every child’s starting point and rate of progress are different, so no specific result can be guaranteed.

 

Olivia’s story does show what can happen when a child receives clear instruction, consistent review, and support that addresses the source of the struggle.

 

The most important early foundation: read aloud from infancy

 

The best thing parents can do to build an early foundation for literacy is to read aloud from infancy.

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Reading aloud surrounds a child with rich spoken language. It builds vocabulary, background knowledge, listening comprehension, attention, and familiarity with the language of books.

 

It also helps children connect reading with warmth, closeness, and enjoyment. Continue reading aloud even after your child begins reading independently Choose books that are more advanced than the books your child can read alone. Talk about unfamiliar words, interesting ideas, characters, and events. Let your child hear stories, history, poetry, and well-written nonfiction.

 

Reading aloud and explicit reading instruction serve different purposes. Reading aloud develops language, knowledge, imagination, and a love of books.

 

Structured instruction teaches a child how to read the written words on the page. A child who is struggling often needs both.

 

You do not have to solve this alone

 

Parents often come to me after trying several programs, worksheets, apps, or reading strategies. You may be tired of wondering whether you are doing enough. You may also be concerned that reading has become a source of tension between you and your child.

 

A free assessment can help you understand what your child already knows, where the gaps may be, and what kind of instruction could help next.The purpose is not to pressure you into a program. It is to give you clearer information about your child’s reading.

 

During the assessment, I will look at your child’s current reading and spelling skills and discuss your concerns with you.Afterward, I will explain what I observed and recommend appropriate next steps. Help your child move from guessing to understanding.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

What ages do you tutor?

I work with beginning and struggling readers who need stronger foundations in phonemic awareness, phonograms, spelling, decoding, fluency, or comprehension.My lessons work best for ages 6 through 12, but I have helped older students as well. These also moved quickly into classical writing lessons.

 

How do I know whether my child needs a reading tutor?

A child may benefit from tutoring if reading progress has stalled, reading requires unusually high effort, or regular practice consistently ends in frustration. An assessment can help determine whether your child has specific skill gaps that need direct instruction.

 

Do you diagnose dyslexia?

No. I do not diagnose dyslexia or other learning disabilities. I do provide structured reading and spelling instruction for children with persistent reading difficulties, including children who have a diagnosis, are awaiting evaluation, or show dyslexia-like struggles.

 

Can online reading tutoring work for a young child?

Yes, when lessons are interactive, focused, and appropriate for the child’s attention span.T he child should have a quiet place to work, a reliable internet connection, and any simple lesson materials requested in advance. A parent may need to remain nearby for younger students.

 

Do you use sight words?

Over time many  frequently used words become instantly recognizable with practice, but I do not rely on visual memorization as the main way to teach reading. I help students analyze words by sound, phonogram, spelling pattern, and structure whenever possible.

 

How long will tutoring take?

The length of tutoring depends on the child’s starting point, age, learning needs, lesson frequency, and practice between sessions. As you know, children often develop reading skills at varying rates. In addition, the longer a child has practiced guessing at words, the longer it often takes to correct this.

 

After the assessment and early lessons, I can give you a clearer picture of the skills we need to address.

 

Should I keep reading aloud to my child?

Yes. Continue reading aloud even if your child is old enough to read independently. Reading aloud builds vocabulary, knowledge, comprehension, and enjoyment while your child develops the skills needed to read increasingly difficult books alone.

 

I caution against expecting a child to read any passage at the beginning of the lessons, except for the words from the spelling lists he or she creates in the learning log.

 

This process is often likened to getting a 747 off the ground. It takes a lot of fuel to get up in the air, but once up, at a point, it all starts to “click” and reading becomes much easier.

 

Give your child a clearer path forward.

 

Your child does not need to be pushed harder through a method that is not working.They need someone to identify the missing skills, teach them directly, and provide patient practice until the process becomes clearer.

 

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