Not All Reading Tutors Are the Same: What Parents Need to Know Before Hiring Help for a Struggling Reader

Why Many Well-Meaning Tutors Don’t Actually Know How to Teach Reading

When a child is struggling to read, most parents’ first instinct is to find someone—anyone—who can help.

A babysitter who loves books, a high school student with good grades, a college grad studying education, or even a classroom teacher might seem like a good fit.

After all, they can read—shouldn’t they be able to teach reading too?

But here’s the hard truth: most people, including many certified teachers, haven’t actually been taught how to teach reading—especially to kids with dyslexia.

Take my own experience, for example. I became a third-grade teacher because I loved reading and wanted to share that love with my students. But once I was in the classroom, I realized something shocking: I didn’t actually know how to help the kids who couldn’t read. Despite all my education courses, I had only taken two classes related to reading instruction.

That lack of training is more common than you might think.

Many tutors, especially those without specialized education in reading science, tend to fall back on strategies like:

• Telling the child the word when they’re stuck

• Telling them to “sound it out” without knowing how to guide them through it

• Reading aloud together, hoping the child picks it up through exposure

While these approaches may feel supportive, they don’t address the root of the problem. And for children with dyslexia, this kind of passive help doesn’t move the needle.

Why Generic Tutoring Often Doesn’t Work for Kids with Dyslexia

Many traditional tutoring methods rely on passive learning: listening, repeating, or guessing. A child might be asked to “read along,” “try sounding it out,” or “read it again.” But the dyslexic brain processes reading differently.

Thanks to fMRI research, we know that typical readers activate areas in the left hemisphere related to phonological processing and word recognition. In dyslexic readers, these areas are underactivated. Instead, the brain compensates by engaging the right hemisphere or frontal lobe, which are less efficient for reading.

That’s why reading can be so slow and effortful for even very bright dyslexic children.

To help these students truly learn, we need active learning and multisensory instruction.

That means:

• Writing and saying the sounds

  
  

• Using tactile tools like jelly boards Thanks to fMRI research, we know that typical readers activate areas in the left hemisphere related to phonological processing and word recognition. In dyslexic readers, these areas are underactivated. Instead, the brain compensates by engaging the right hemisphere or frontal lobe, which are less efficient for reading.

  
  

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• Blending sounds with movement and speech

These techniques help create the brain connections that passive strategies simply don’t.

Why One-Size-Fits-All Programs Don’t Work for Dyslexia

Many agencies rely on scripted programs like Wilson. While structured programs can offer consistency, they often train tutors to follow a manual without understanding why a child is struggling or how to adjust instruction.

Teaching a dyslexic learner is not just about a curriculum. It’s about:

• Understanding how children learn

  
  

• Knowing how dyslexic students process differently

  
  

• Adapting lessons in real time

  
  

• Repeating instruction intentionally, not automatically

🧠 “Teaching a program is not the same as teaching a child.”

The most effective tutors use programs as tools—not crutches.

What Makes a Reading Tutor Truly Effective for Dyslexia

Here’s what sets a truly effective reading tutor apart:

Specialized Training in the Science of Reading

They understand how reading skills develop and how to diagnose gaps.

Deep Knowledge of Dyslexia

They know how the dyslexic brain works, and how to teach in a way that actually reaches those learners.

Structured, Flexible, and Multisensory Instruction

They blend research-backed methods with creativity, using tools like tracing, tapping, and guided decoding.

Real teaching means knowing how to pivot when something isn’t working—not just following a script.

The Truth About Price, Speed, and Quality

When hiring a tutor, you can usually choose two of the following:

• Fast

• Cheap

• High-Quality

But you can’t have all three.

• Fast + Cheap = low-quality instruction that may not work

• Cheap + High-Quality = slower progress or limited availability

• Fast + High-Quality = greater investment, faster results

Hiring the wrong kind of help can cost more in the long run—in both money and missed learning.

How to Choose the Right Tutor for Your Child

Here are signs to look for and avoid:

Key Questions to Ask a Tutor

1. What training do you have in reading instruction and dyslexia?

2. How do you assess progress and adjust instruction?

3. What do you do when a student isn’t responding?

4. Do you use multisensory methods?

5. How do you ensure skills stick over time?

Real Change Is Possible—With the Right Help

I’ve worked with students who felt defeated after years of trying. Many had been guessing words or stuck in endless reading groups. But when they finally received instruction tailored to how their brain learns? The transformation was incredible.

One student went from guessing at every word to decoding with confidence—just by engaging in a multisensory technique that helped her brain truly process the sounds.

This kind of change doesn’t take years. It just takes the right kind of instruction.

Let’s Talk About Your Child’s Needs

If this post resonates with you, let’s talk. I offer free consultations where we can:

• Discuss your child’s struggles

• Review what they’ve tried before

• Explore a plan that actually works

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

👉 Schedule your free consultation at theonlinereadingtutor.com or email me at joanne.kaminski@theonlinereadingtutor.com

About the Author

Joanne Kaminski is a certified reading specialist and licensed Reading Teacher with over 25 years of experience helping struggling readers—particularly students with dyslexia—build the skills and confidence they need to thrive. Since 2010, she’s worked exclusively online, specializing in personalized, evidence-based reading instruction.

Joanne is the founder of Bright Idea Reading Tutoring, where she leads a trained team of expert reading tutors and continues to mentor educators through her Reading Interventionist Program—a course designed to help other tutors effectively teach reading online.

What sets Joanne apart is her ability to close the reading gap—often within just 12 hours of instruction. Her approach blends deep knowledge of how children learn with proven strategies tailored to how the dyslexic brain works. While every child is different, many of her students have made faster progress with her than they ever thought possible.

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Online Reading Tutor | The Online Reading Tutor | Sussex

Joanne Kaminski, the online reading tutor in Waukesha, WI, is able to close the reading gap a full year with 8-12 hours of instruction.