If your child guesses at words, reads one word at a time, or reads a whole page aloud and then can't tell you what
happened, our reading tutoring starts with the skill that's getting in the way. Your tutor works one-on-one with your child on phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension, using worksheets and activities made for them.
We tutor reading from Pre-K through 8th grade at your home in Dallas and nearby cities. You get a session note
after every session. Our specialty is kids with ADHD, autism, an IEP, or a 504 plan. Every tutor is background
checked and CPR certified.
Phonics tutoring: letter sounds and sounding out words
To read a word, a child needs to know the sound each letter stands for and blend those sounds together: c, a, t,
cat. Short words like cat and sun, made of a consonant, a vowel, and a consonant, are called CVC words. Teaching those links between letters and sounds is called phonics. Until that link is solid, a child often finds another way through, like guessing from the first letter or
the picture.
Your tutor starts with the letters and sounds your child already knows and builds from there. Younger children
learn through play: shaping letters from Play-Doh, writing them in sand, drawing, and games.
Read it smoothlyName
The dog ran to the park.
He sat by a big tree.
Then he ran home for lunch.
Reading fluency: reading smoothly and accurately at a steady pace
Once a child can sound out words, the next step is reading them smoothly and accurately at a steady pace, the way
you read a text message without stopping on each word. That's fluency. A child who has to work out every word
spends most of their attention on the words themselves and has little left for meaning, which is why slow reading
and trouble understanding often show up together.
Your child practices reading in every session, with material at their current level, so most of the words are
ones they can already read.
Read and answerName
Mia planted a seed. She watered it every day. One morning, a green sprout came up.
What did Mia do first?
watered the seed
planted a seed
saw a sprout
Reading comprehension: understanding what they read
Reading the words and understanding them are separate skills. A child can sound out every word on a page and still
not know who did what or what happened first. Comprehension includes following events in order, picking out the
main idea, and working out a new word from the sentence around it.
Your tutor works on comprehension with reading and questions at your child's level. The same skill helps in math,
where a child has to understand a word problem before solving it. We also offer STAAR prep for the Texas state
tests.
Early writing: tracing, pencil grip, letter formation, and first sentences
For young children, learning to read letters and learning to write them often go together. Early writing starts
with tracing and holding a pencil, then forming each letter, then writing first words and sentences. The child in
this photo is copying sentences onto a reading worksheet, a step toward writing sentences of their own.
We practice early writing in reading sessions too, and it's part of our kindergarten readiness tutoring for young children getting ready for school.
What are the signs your child is having a hard time with reading?
Each of the skills above shows up in everyday reading. Parents may notice signs like these at homework time or
when reading together:
Guessing at a word from its first letter or the picture
Reading slowly and stopping on many words in a sentence
Avoiding reading aloud, or finding reasons to stop
Reading a page and not being able to tell you what happened
Getting tired or upset quickly when homework involves a lot of reading
Any of these can mean an earlier reading skill needs more practice, and that skill is where your tutor starts. We
don't diagnose. If your tutor thinks your child would benefit from an evaluation, we'll tell you.
Why does an early reading gap show up in later grades?
Reading builds in order: letters and sounds, then words, then smooth reading, then understanding longer text. A
child who isn't comfortable with an early step often works around it, for example by memorizing familiar books or
reading the pictures. That works with short picture books, but longer books have more words and fewer pictures,
so an early gap may not show until the books get longer.
Of course, reading more helps. But when the gap is in an earlier skill, more grade-level reading can mean more
practice at guessing. So your tutor starts at your child's current level, even if it's below their grade, and
builds toward grade level from there. The first worksheets may look easier than your child's schoolwork, and the
work moves up as each skill becomes solid.
What reading tutoring covers from Pre-K to 5th grade
Pre-K and kindergarten: blending letter sounds and sounding out short words of 2 to 4 letters, then reading short sentences.
1st and 2nd grade: reading short passages more smoothly and answering questions about them. If your child brings home a sight word list, your tutor practices those words too: reading them, short spelling quizzes, and adding them to your child's worksheets.
3rd to 5th grade: longer stories, sounding out longer words of 5 to 7 letters, and building comprehension.
At every grade, sessions mix reading together, short spelling quizzes, and comprehension questions, aimed at reading at grade level or above.
How your tutor teaches reading in your home
Because your tutor starts at your child's level, the worksheets and materials they bring are made for your child's
gaps. Look again at the Read and Circle sheet in the early writing photo above. Under the title, in small print,
is a note to the tutor written for one boy: "He can point or circle to answer. Writing the sentence is extra
practice, so skip it if he's tired." The point of that sheet is reading, so on a long day he can skip the writing
and still practice reading.
Each session starts with a warm-up on something your child already knows. The harder reading work comes next,
while they're fresh, and the session ends on an easy review. Younger children and kids who need more breaks work
in 5 to 10 minute blocks, with a break after 2 or 3 activities. Older students usually work in longer stretches.
Working with kids who have ADHD, autism, an IEP, or a 504 plan is our specialty. Cedar Elm was founded by Mariya
Zakir, a former Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). She spent a year working one-on-one with autistic children at
an ABA clinic and 3 years tutoring at a tutoring center.
Reading sessions use ABA-informed strategies: short activities, planned breaks, and praise and small rewards for
finished work. Your tutor also plans around how your child best shows what they know. On the Read and Circle
sheet, pointing or circling counts as an answer, and we have worked with nonverbal children. When a child hits
their limit, your tutor asks for one more very short task (under 2 minutes), then praises the effort and gives a
short break. Some children start with learning readiness, like sitting at a table and following directions, before
reading work begins.
Tutoring works alongside your child's IEP or 504 plan and services like speech therapy or OT. It doesn't replace
them.
A few small habits at home support what your tutor does in sessions.
Read together a little every day. A few minutes at a calm time, like bedtime, is easier to keep up than
one long stretch on the weekend.
Let your child pick some of the books. Comics, joke books, and books about animals all count, and a
topic your child cares about can keep them reading longer.
Ask about the story as you go. Questions like "Who's in this part?" or "Why did she do that?" give
your child comprehension practice without turning reading time into a quiz.
Tell your tutor what you notice. Let your tutor know which words trip your child up and which books
they reach for. Both help your tutor plan the next session.
If your child reads every word but can't tell you what happened, comprehension may need to start smaller. These steps run from one sentence and a picture to written answers, with activities for home.
Writing takes hand strength, a steady grip, and the lines and circles that letters are made of. Here's how to practice each step at home, and when to ask an occupational therapist.
How much does a reading tutor for kids cost in Dallas?
Sessions are priced per 60 minutes at your home, at the same rate for every grade, and the current rate is on our pricing page. The price includes materials made for your child, a note after every session, and a monthly progress report. You're billed monthly or every two weeks, and the first consultation is free.
We start at Pre-K, and we also work with younger children getting ready for Pre-K. With young children, your tutor works on letters and sounds and on early writing, like tracing and holding a pencil. The work happens through play and hands-on activities, in 5 to 10 minute blocks.
Do you tutor reading for high school students?
Reading tutoring runs through 8th grade. For high school students, we help with English homework and with review for class quizzes and tests. We don't tutor English as a subject.
My child can read the words but doesn't understand them. Can a reading comprehension tutor help?
Yes. Comprehension is one of the three reading skills we tutor, along with phonics and fluency. If your child still reads slowly, your tutor may work on fluency too, since a child who reads smoothly has more attention left for meaning.
Do you tutor children with dyslexia?
Yes. We tutor children with dyslexia in reading, with extra one-on-one time on phonics: the sound each letter stands for and how sounds blend into words, practiced with hands-on materials like Play-Doh letters and letters written in sand. We aren't dyslexia specialists, and we don't diagnose dyslexia. If an evaluation or a specialist program would help your child, we'll tell you.
Do you offer online reading tutoring?
No. All sessions are in person, in your home. Your tutor comes to homes in Dallas and 13 nearby cities, including Plano, Richardson, Garland, Irving, and University Park. Sessions run Saturday through Thursday.
How will I know if my child's reading is improving?
You get a session note after every session and a progress report every month, covering what your child worked on and what comes next. At home, you may also notice less guessing, more willingness to read aloud, or more detail when your child retells a story.
Start reading tutoring in Dallas in three steps
Reading tutoring starts with a free consultation at your home, where your tutor sees which reading skills your child already has and which one is getting in the way.
Step 1
We contact you by phone or email to find a time for your consultation.
Step 2
We visit your home to learn about your child and your goals.
Step 3
Together we choose session times and agree on what progress looks like for your child.
