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Patient, structured SWR tutoring for children who need more review, clearer instruction, or help from someone outside the family

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Spell to Write and Read is a strong, thorough method, but it can feel demanding when you are trying to teach it at home.

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You may understand the value of phonograms, spelling rules, dictation, and word analysis, yet still find that lessons are becoming frustrating. Your child may resist correction, forget previously learned material, or need more practice than your schedule allows.

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Sometimes the method is not the problem. The child simply needs more direct teaching, more careful review, or a tutor who can work through the difficult places with patience and consistency.

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I provide online Spell to Write and Read tutoring for beginning and struggling readers who need individualized help with phonograms, spelling, reading, and comprehension.​​​

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​​​​​Are SWR lessons becoming difficult at home?

You may be looking for an SWR tutor because:

• you bought the program but feel overwhelmed by the amount of material

• your child resists phonogram review or spelling dictation

• you are not sure which phonograms need more practice

• spelling rules are not carrying over into reading

• your child can recite information but struggles to apply it

• lessons take too long or regularly end in frustration

• your child needs more repetition than you can provide

• you are unsure where to begin or whether to move forward

• you want someone else to handle instruction so you can remain the parent

• your child has reading or spelling difficulties that require a slower, more individualized pace​

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These are common reasons families seek outside support.

SWR contains many useful tools, but the program works best when instruction is paced to the child rather than rushed to match a schedule.

Individualized help with Spell to Write and Read

My tutoring is based on the principles and practices found in Spell to Write and Read, including:

• phonogram instruction

• sound-to-symbol work

• spelling dictation

• spelling rules

• syllable analysis

• word markings

• handwriting

• oral reading

• vocabulary

• narration

• comprehension
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Lessons are not limited to completing a certain number of spelling words. ​I look closely at what your child understands, where errors are occurring, and which skills need review before new material is introduced.

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The goal is to help your child understand how words work, not simply complete assignments.

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Tutoring begins with an assessment

Before beginning regular lessons, I assess your child’s current skills.

Depending on age and ability, the assessment may include:

• phonemic awareness

• phonogram knowledge

• spelling

• handwriting

• decoding

• word analysis

• oral reading accuracy

• fluency

• vocabulary

• comprehension
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This helps me determine whether your child needs to begin with foundational sound work, review specific phonograms, strengthen spelling analysis, or work on applying known skills to connected reading.

It also prevents us from spending too much time on skills your child already knows.

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What an online SWR lesson may include

Each lesson is adjusted to the child, but a typical session may include several of the following elements.

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Phonogram review

Your child practices hearing and producing the sounds represented by letters and letter combinations.

The goal is accurate, automatic recall, but review is kept purposeful. I pay attention to which phonograms are secure and which ones continue to cause confusion.

Phonemic awareness

Some students need extra practice hearing, separating, blending, or changing sounds in spoken words.

This oral work can be especially important for children who struggle to spell or decode unfamiliar words.

Spelling dictation

I dictate words and guide the child through a structured process.

The student may:

1. hear and repeat the word

2. use it in a sentence

3. divide it into syllables

4. identify the individual sounds

5. choose the phonograms that represent those sounds

6. write the word

7. read it back

8. mark or discuss relevant spelling features

This process helps connect listening, speech, handwriting, spelling, and reading.

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Spelling rules and word analysis

Rules are introduced as tools for understanding words, not as isolated facts to memorize.

We discuss why a phonogram is used, where a sound appears in the word, and how syllables or word structure affect spelling.

Reading practice

Students need to apply their knowledge beyond a spelling list.

Lessons include oral reading from appropriate material so I can observe whether phonogram and spelling knowledge is transferring into accurate reading.

Narration, vocabulary, and comprehension

As reading improves, we also discuss meaning.

Your child may retell a passage, explain an idea, define words from context, or answer questions that require careful attention.

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How SWR connects spelling and reading

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A central idea in Spell to Write and Read is that reading and spelling should not be treated as unrelated subjects. When reading, a child sees written symbols and connects them with sounds and meaning.

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When spelling, the child begins with a spoken word, analyzes its sounds, chooses the appropriate phonograms, and writes it. Wanda Sanseri describes SWR as an approach that works from sound to print. The child hears, analyzes, writes, reads, and studies the word.

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This process can be especially helpful for children who have tried to memorize words by sight but continue to forget them.

Instead of asking the child to remember the overall shape of a word, SWR teaches them to notice its parts and understand how those parts represent spoken language.

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When a child knows the phonograms but still struggles

Some children can recite phonogram sounds accurately but do not apply that knowledge when reading or spelling.

This can happen for several reasons.
 

The child may:

• have difficulty hearing all the sounds in a word

• know individual phonograms but struggle to blend them

• rush and fall back on guessing

• confuse similar sounds or spellings

• need more practice with syllables

• understand rules in isolation but not recognize when to use them

• have difficulty holding sounds in memory while writing

• need more direct correction during reading
   

Tutoring helps identify which part of the process is breaking down.

The answer is not always more flashcard practice. Sometimes the child needs guided application, slower dictation, carefully selected words, or more oral sound work.
 

Support for homeschool families

SWR can place a heavy teaching load on a parent, especially when several children are learning at once.

You may be balancing:

• multiple grade levels

• younger children

• work responsibilities

• household demands

• other subjects

• a child who needs intensive one-on-one instruction

Hiring a tutor does not mean you have failed to use the program well.

It may simply mean your child needs more time and individual attention than you can reasonably provide during this season.

Outside tutoring can also reduce conflict. A child who resists correction from a parent may respond differently to a tutor, allowing you to return to the role of encourager, reader, and parent.
 

Online tutoring that remains personal

Online lessons are live and interactive.
 

Your child is not watching a recording or working alone through a digital program.
 

During each session, I listen to responses, observe written work, correct errors, ask questions, and adjust the pace based on the child’s performance.
 

Lessons may use:

• digital phonogram cards 

• digital spelling rule cards

• a digital whiteboard

• shared documents

• spelling notebooks or learning logs

• oral exercises

• word-analysis activities

• reading passages

• games and review exercises
   

You will also receive regular communication about your child’s progress and current areas of focus.
 

What parents may notice over time

Progress often begins with small but important changes.

Your child may begin to:

• hear sounds more accurately

• remember phonograms more consistently

• analyze before guessing

• spell with greater confidence

• recognize familiar patterns in new words

• correct errors independently

• read with better accuracy

• resist lessons less often

• approach difficult words more calmly
   

These changes create the foundation for greater fluency and comprehension.
 

Every child develops at a different pace, so specific results cannot be guaranteed. The purpose of tutoring is to provide clear teaching, steady review, and instruction that responds to the child in front of me.

One family’s experience with SWR tutoring

One parent shared that I was one of the only tutors the family found who used the Spell to Write and Read curriculum.

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After seeing the progress of one child, the family later enrolled four more children in SWR tutoring.

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Another parent described the lessons as manageable and noted the combination of foundational instruction, good books, and games.

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"Susan is very skilled in using the Spell to Write and Read curriculum and helped my struggling reader grasps the foundational skills she needed to now enjoy reading! The hour-long lessons were broken up into a variety of activities so it was very manageable for my active 8-year-old. She reads beautiful books, uses the SWR lessons, and also includes fun games for practicing the spelling lists. So thankful for the time Susan spent with my daughter and I would highly recommend her tutoring services!"

-Diana Fuller

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Testimonials describe individual family experiences. They do not guarantee that every student will have the same outcome, but they can help parents understand what the tutoring process is like.

What parents can do between lessons

You do not need to recreate the entire tutoring session at home.

Simple, consistent support is often more useful than long review sessions.

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You can help by:

• reading aloud every day

• completing short phonogram reviews when assigned

• listening to your child read manageable material

• encouraging careful analysis instead of guessing

• keeping practice calm and brief

• avoiding pressure to read faster before accuracy is secure

• sharing observations about what seems easy or difficult
   

The best early literacy foundation a parent can provide is reading aloud from infancy and continuing well beyond the time a child begins reading alone.

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Reading aloud develops vocabulary, listening comprehension, background knowledge, imagination, and a love of books.

It does not replace explicit instruction in reading and spelling, but it gives children the language and knowledge they need to understand what they read.
 

Is online SWR tutoring right for your child?
This tutoring may be a good fit if:

• you want instruction grounded in Spell to Write and Read

• your child needs stronger phonogram knowledge

• spelling and reading are not developing together

• your child needs more repetition or a slower pace

• home lessons have become a source of conflict

• you want help identifying gaps

• you need an experienced tutor to provide consistent instruction

• you want regular feedback about your child’s progress
   

The first step is a free reading assessment.
 

Schedule a free reading assessment

During the assessment, I will examine your child’s current reading and spelling skills, listen to your concerns, and look for the areas that may be limiting progress.
 

Afterward, I will explain what I observed and discuss appropriate next steps.
 

Give your child patient, structured help with Spell to Write and Read.

Schedule a Free Reading Assessment