What we do
We are committed to helping the community with one-on-one tutoring that speaks directly to the child’s need to not struggle with reading. We use many different approaches to make the process as fun as possible while instilling confidence and excitement in areas where there used to be frustration.
Dyslexia tutoring for kids using the Barton Reading and Spelling System. We provide structured literacy programs that turn struggling readers into thriving readers. 20% of the population has dyslexia, according to Yale University. See www.ohiodyslexia.org for more info.
How we do it
It all started with a single objective
Give real help to children who struggle with dyslexia or other reading issues.
Ohio Dyslexia Center follows an Orton-Gillingham-based, multisensory structured language education approach. We use all the sensory pathways to help children understand the written word. Children are tutored one on one twice to three times a week during the day if their school situation allows or after school. Each child gets an individualized approach to ensure reading success.
Why We Care So Much
Our dedicated tutors give of their time and energy to make the lives of children with dyslexia better. Our mission has three parts
Student Education
Provide one on one tutoring with state-of-the-art, Orton Gillingham-based instruction that will strengthen the child to master the written word. We provide support for students as inexpensively as possible so that all children, no matter their financial status, can participate and thrive.
Student Support
Finding ways to support the student through different areas of their lives that are affected by their struggle in reading.
Tutor Certification
Train tutors in the latest educational methods and certify them in the Barton Reading and Spelling System.
What is taught*
(from www.bartonreading.com. Barton Reading and Spelling is the system we use at Ohio Dyslexia Center)
1. Phonemic Awareness is the first step. You must teach someone how to listen to a single word or syllable and break it into individual phonemes. They also have to be able to take individual sounds and blend them into a word, change sounds, delete sounds, and compare sounds—all in their head. These skills are easiest to learn before someone brings in printed letters.
2. Phoneme/Grapheme Correspondence is the next step. Here you teach which sounds are represented by which letter(s), and how to blend those letters into single-syllable words.
3. The Six Types of Syllables that compose English words are taught next. If students know what type of syllable they're looking at, they'll know what sound the vowel will make. Conversely, when they hear a vowel sound, they'll know how the syllable must be spelled to make that sound.
4. Probabilities and Rules are then taught. The English language provides several ways to spell the same sounds. For example, the sound /SHUN/ can be spelled either TION, SION, or CIAN. The sound of /J/ at the end of a word can be spelled GE or DGE. Dyslexic students need to be taught these rules and probabilities.
5. Roots and Affixes, as well as Morphology are then taught to expand a student's vocabulary and ability to comprehend (and spell) unfamiliar words. For instance, once a student has been taught that the Latin root TRACT means pull, and a student knows the various Latin affixes, the student can figure out that retract means pull again, contract means pull together, subtract means pull away (or pull under), while tractor means a machine that pulls.
How it is taught
• Simultaneous Multisensory Instruction: Research has shown that dyslexic people who use all of their senses when they learn (visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic) are better able to store and retrieve the information. So a beginning dyslexic student might see the letter A, say its name and sound, and write it in the air—all at the same time.
• Intense Instruction with Ample Practice: Instruction for dyslexic students must be much more intense, and offer much more practice, than for regular readers.
• Direct, Explicit Instruction: Dyslexic students do not intuit anything about written language. So, you must teach them, directly and explicitly, each and every rule that governs our written words. And you must teach one rule at a time, and practice it until it is stable in both reading and spelling, before introducing a new rule.
• Systematic and Cumulative: By the time most dyslexic students are identified, they are usually quite confused about our written language. So you must go back to the very beginning and create a solid foundation with no holes. You must teach the logic behind our language by presenting one rule at a time and practicing it until the student can automatically and fluently apply that rule both when reading and spelling. You must continue to weave previously learned rules into current lessons to keep them fresh and solid. The system must make logical sense to our students, from the first lesson through the last one.
• Synthetic and Analytic: Dyslexic students must be taught both how to take the individual letters or sounds and put them together to form a word (synthetic), as well as how to look at a long word and break it into smaller pieces (analytic). Both synthetic and analytic phonics must be taught all the time.
• Diagnostic Teaching: The teacher must continuously assess their student's understanding of, and ability to apply, the rules. The teacher must ensure the student isn't simply recognizing a pattern and blindly applying it. When confusion of a previously taught rule is discovered, it must be retaught.
Real Help for Reading Struggles
We have been faithfully helping children with dyslexia for the past five years. We have seen great results with children mastering reading. Their grades have gone up along with their confidence. Our tutoring program is independent of public-school procedures. We serve children in grades 1-12 with many different types of backgrounds. Our children generally go through the program for one to two years. They receive one on one instruction which allows the curriculum to be tailored to each child’s needs. It is exciting to see the boost in the child’s self-esteem and enthusiasm for reading through this program.
We do a free screening to determine if the child is a good fit for the Barton Reading and Spelling System. We evaluate the child’s situation and determine how we can best meet his or her needs. See www.ohiodyslexia.org.
Conclusion
Do you want a bright future for your child? Then give him or her a huge boost by contacting Ohio Dyslexia Center.
When we teach children to read and decode successfully, we are giving them a jumping-off point into an amazing future.
See our other website www.ohiodyslexia.org
