Reading

It is common for children to find reading difficult, especially reading assessments. Your child may feel like they’ve fallen behind in reading at school. Maybe when they read to you, they do so in a slow or robotic style. Perhaps they have a negative relationship with books and getting them to read at home is like getting blood from a stone. I can help.

Difficulties with reading tend to come down to three issues:

1. Fluency - The ability to read a piece of writing effortlessly, fluidly and with expression.

2. Decoding - The ability to recognise letters and understand how letters form words.

3. Comprehension - The ability to understand the content and meaning of a book or a piece of writing.

I go into more detail about decoding and comprehension in this video.

Reading is arguably the most important school subject. Not only is it vital to everyday life, but it is also an essential element of every other subject; even hands-on subjects like PE and DT require children to have a good reading ability at GCSE level.

In my experience, there is a direct correlation between having a positive attitude towards books and being a highly-able reader. I have identified three reasons why some children choose not to read:

1. They find it difficult, and few people enjoy doing things they can’t do.

2. They have better things to do. I understand that if you give most children a choice between reading or playing with a gadget or console, they will choose the gadget or console. Don’t give them a choice. Make reading for 20-30 minutes a day part of their routine, whether they like it or not.

3. They’re choosing the wrong books.

In my reading lessons, I identify barriers to reading and rectify these. I subscribe to reading newsletters and book clubs and I am always on the lookout for new books. As a result, I have a broad range of books to choose from and I am very good at selecting the right book for the right child or moving children on from box sets and easy-reads like Diary of a Wimpy Kid to something more varied and challenging. With maths and writing tuition, I can show the parents an instant improvement in their child’s ability. This isn’t the case with reading, however, over time, you will see an improvement in your child’s ability to read out loud, their comprehension and their attitude towards books.

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Writing

Good writers have a good understanding of grammar and how to structure sentences. They can plan and structure a piece of writing well. They are excellent at writing for a particular purpose and a particular audience. They write neatly with accurate spellings. They can craft creative and engaging stories with strong characters and immersive settings. Their writing flows and is enjoyable to read.​

Writing is closely linked with confidence. Think about the last time you walked around a school. What did you see on the walls? Chances are you saw lots of examples of written work displayed with pride. A big part of my writing tuition is getting children to enjoy writing and seeing themselves as writers. Working hard on a piece of writing that you're proud of and being able to share it with others is a fantastic feeling.

I will tailor my tuition to whatever your child needs. It may be that we spend 80% of our time on spelling. It may be that we don't spend any time on spelling at all and instead spend time on the art of story writing. We might focus mainly on handwriting. Whatever they need, I can help your child grow in confidence with focused, specialised support and guidance that they cannot get in school. 

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