Reading

Diana Vaniotis, M.A. Ed.

Educational Specialist

Every child anticipates he or she will learn how to read in school, and every parent expects it. Since a large majority of school age children progress from sounding out and reading-each-word to reading sentences and paragraphs smoothly without having noticed how they got there, it is often assumed that all children will perform the same. 


However, approximately 20% of any regular classroom population will be made up of students who have difficulty doing what their classmates do effortlessly: read, spell and/or write. When those difficulties seem imminent or persist over time, an educational specialist versed in reading remediation can help. 


Some important ideas to consider: 


If there is a family history of problems with reading, there is cause to be concerned. Research shows that offspring and siblings of dyslexics have a 40% chance of having reading problems too. We can identify through assessments, the potential for reading problems before they start, as early as kindergarten, and address problem areas with research-based, effective intervention techniques. 


Children, who are behind in reading in third grade, tend to stay behind. The gap between good and poor readers continues to widen as time goes on if there is no intervention. For every year a child is behind in reading, it can take a full year of extra tutoring to catch up. The latest, scientifically supported research confirms previous beliefs that early and intensive intervention actually changes the brain of dyslexics, and can go a long way toward preventing reading problems and ultimately, school problems.


The six most dangerous words that stall intervention, wastes opportune time for remediation, and reading skill acquisition are: "He will grow out of it." It is never too early to be concerned if you have a gut feeling your child is not doing as well as he or she should; it's never too late to start remediation. 









One-to-One Sessions


For reading remediation, Diana integrates two multi-sensory programs described as effective by the International Dyslexia Association: Wilson Language Systems and Lindamood-Bell® programs. Multiple opportunities for practice in fluency, sight word recognition, phonemic and phonic proficiency, and vocabulary are also part of each session.  A typical session lasts 60 minutes and is scheduled at least twice a week. Individually designed activities teach, build, reinforces and revisits previously taught skills. Concepts that need multiple opportunities for practice are presented in many different formats, including games. Students' work and practice materials are kept in a binder and/or file box to be taken when they finish their sessions. 


Summer tutoring allows for sessions when a child is fresh. Sessions last 90 minutes every day (four days/week) and help children retain/maintain skills more efficiently. Morning or afternoon classes allow children to participate in Junior Guards and other summer activities concurrently. Summer sessions provide transition support for children going into or exiting Chartwell School. The schedule for summer sessions usually opens in April.