Help & Support

How Tutoring Works

The Children’s Dyslexia Centers, Inc. reading instruction is direct, systematic, cumulative, individualized, and responsive to each child’s unique needs.

Every child receives one-on-one tutoring; instruction is never delivered in groups. Lessons are customized based on assessment data and ongoing performance. Instruction follows a Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) approach rooted in Orton-Gillingham/Structured Literacy principles. Instruction is direct, explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative. Skills are taught in a carefully planned progression from foundational phonemic awareness through advanced decoding, spelling, and written language. Sessions are held twice per week after school and last approximately 55 minutes. Children typically complete about 50 lessons per year.

Each lesson includes a review of previously taught concepts, multisensory practice, introduction of new concepts, guided reading and spelling practice, and written language application with immediate corrective feedback. Instruction is diagnostic and prescriptive. Tutors continuously adjust pacing and content based on the child’s responses. Initial standardized and curriculum-based assessments determine entry-level skills. Formal progress monitoring occurs after the first year and guides instructional decisions and recommendations for continuation.

For children who continue for a second year, formal progress monitoring is repeated. Most children attend the program for about two years. Children graduate when they meet established benchmarks and demonstrate meaningful progress in reading.

Tutors receive specialized training in the structured literacy approach. Clinical staff provide ongoing oversight that ensures instructional fidelity, quality, and consistency across centers. The program’s effectiveness and family satisfaction are reflected in recent feedback, as the 2024–2025 Parent Survey results indicated that 100% of respondents would recommend the program.

Tutor Training & Oversight​

One on One Child Instruction

Structured Literacy Framework

LESSONS ARE
Explicit
Sequential
Systematic
Cumulative

Frequency & Scheduling

Lesson Structure

Each session typically includes:
Review of previously taught concepts
Multimodal practice
Introduction of new structured literacy concepts
Guided reading and spelling practice
Written language application
Ongoing error correction with immediate feedback

Assessment & Progress Monitoring

Duration of Services

The Tutoring Process
SUPPORT OUR MISSION

When we give the children an opportunity to reach their potential, we invest in the future.