Struggling Reader? There’s a simpler way forward
Streamlined Instruction. Targeted Support. Confident Readers.
When your child struggles with reading, it’s hard to know what to do next.
Should you practise more sight words? Spend more time on phonics? Try another reading program? Find easier books?
After a while, it can feel as though you’re trying everything without getting the progress you hoped for.
But what if you could stop guessing and start knowing exactly what your child needs?
At The Reading Specialist, I help beginning and struggling readers build the skills they need to read accurately, fluently, and confidently. Through focused assessment and streamlined, evidence-based instruction, we identify the gaps, target the skills that matter, and build a clear pathway toward reading success.
Your child doesn’t need more guesswork. Your family needs a plan.
The First Step: Find Out What Your Child Needs
Every reader has a different starting point.
Some children struggle to hear and work with the individual sounds in words. Others know their letter sounds but have difficulty blending those sounds to read unfamiliar words. Some can decode words but read slowly, inaccurately, or without understanding what they read.
Until you know where the difficulty lies, it’s easy to spend time practising skills your child has already mastered—or overlook the skills that need attention.
That’s why we start with a free reading assessment.
Together, we’ll look at your child’s current reading skills, identify areas of strength and difficulty, and discuss the most useful next steps.
You’ll gain a clearer understanding of your child’s reading development and how targeted instruction can help.
No more guessing. A clearer picture of what comes next.
A More Streamlined Path to Reading Success
Less Guesswork. More Focus.
Reading instruction doesn’t have to be complicated.
With the right sequence of activities, children can build essential reading skills without getting lost in a maze of disconnected exercises, worksheets, and reading programs.
My instruction draws on the Science of Reading and a simplified approach to help children develop the foundational skills that make reading possible.
Lessons are purposeful, structured, and responsive to what your child can already do. We build on strengths, address gaps, and introduce new skills as your child is ready.
Rather than simply assigning more reading practice, we focus on the skills that will help your child become a more capable reader.
The goal is not just to get through today’s lesson. It’s to help your child develop the tools to read new words, tackle unfamiliar text, and grow in independence.
Take a moment and see what other parents are saying about this approach.
I’ve noticed such a confidence boost in my daughter.
She read one of her library books to me this morning,
and even said she used her lunch time to read!
Melanie
Thank‑you very much for tutoring my daughter all this time.
She has made all‑round progress in her English over the summer holiday.
We will plan to resume your classes in the winter vacation.
Yang Yang
Thank you so much for supporting my daughter’s learning journey!
She’s getting better and better. While reading her most recent homework,
her tone, intonation, pronunciation of individual words, and overall delivery
have all improved significantly with noticeable changes. I’m pleased with her
recent progress. We will be renewing our lessons for another 12-week session!
Mo Xiang
What We Work On
- Sound awareness: Recognizing and working with the sounds in spoken words.
- Phonics and decoding: Connecting letters to sounds and blending them to read words.
- Word recognition: Developing accurate, increasingly automatic recognition of words.
- Fluency: Building accuracy, appropriate pace, and smoother reading.
- Comprehension: Understanding and thinking about what is read, as decoding skills allow.
Instruction is individualized to your child’s needs, so we can concentrate on the skills that need attention rather than following a one-size-fits-all sequence.
Choose Your Path to Reading Progress
The 12-Week Reading Pathway
Our Most Comprehensive Option
For families who want a structured, sustained approach to reading improvement, the 12-week bundle provides time to work through the full phonemic code, with instruction adapted to your child’s starting point and progress.
Over 12 weeks, we can work systematically through core activities, strengthen foundational skills, practice applying those skills in reading, and build toward greater independence.
Your child receives focused instruction, opportunities to practise and apply new skills, and ongoing adjustments based on what they have mastered and what still needs work.
The goal: to move beyond isolated practice and build a more connected set of reading skills that your child can use with increasing confidence.
This is the option I recommend for families seeking a comprehensive, step-by-step approach.
The 8-Week Reading Bundle
Focused support for a shorter period
The 8-week bundle offers targeted instruction for children who need help addressing particular reading difficulties or strengthening specific foundational skills.
We’ll use the assessment findings to prioritize the most important areas for instruction and make the best use of our time together.
This option may be a good fit for a child who needs focused support with a narrower set of skills or for a family looking for a shorter initial commitment.
Not sure which option is right for your child? Start with the FREE reading assessment.
We’ll discuss your child’s needs and the most appropriate next step.
Ready to Get Started?
Consistent, focused support can make a significant difference in a short time.
Choose a time below that fits your family’s schedule, and select a free reading assessment
or tutoring bundle (8 or 12 weeks) to begin your child’s progress plan.
Don’t see a time slot that works for you? Please contact me directly to make your booking.
Want to use a Canadian e-transfer instead? Contact me with the subject line “E-transfer Booking.”
Note: Prices are in Canadian dollars.
