ONLINE DYSLEXIA TUTORING

NATIONWIDE SERVICES

We are excited to offer online dyslexia tutoring to students! We are currently offering online sessions for reading, writing, and math. We currently have students as far away as Washington State, so we are able to accommodate other time zones.

Our sessions fill up fast! Contact us today for more information!

Personalized Instruction Catered to Your Child’s Needs.

We work with your child to determine their strengths and unique learning style. We also pinpoint their weak areas and any gaps in their knowledge base. We then create lesson plans specifically targeted to address those trouble spots using methods that play to their strengths. Through this approach, your child is able to experience success and develop self confidence in their ability to achieve academically.

One-on-one Instruction Using Evidence-Based Methods

​Our tutors use only the most effective, evidence-based methods. Our instruction is multi-sensory, explicit, and systematic in its approach. We believe, as Ignacio Estrada stated, “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, we should teach the way they learn.”

Research has shown that children who struggle in school don’t need a wait and see approach.

They need intervention NOW. The earlier you can remediate, the better.

 

 

 
 

ONLINE DYSLEXIA TUTORING

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OUR VALUES

Bright Minds Tutoring is made up of a small but incredibly dedicated team of experts in varying grade levels and concentration areas. All of our tutors have received specialized training in Orton-Gillingham practices, considered the gold standard for students with dyslexia, and continue to develop their professional skills as well as staying up to date on current evidence-based practices for all subjects. We specialize in helping students with dyslexia. We believe all students can achieve their goals as long as they are given the proper tools, and we are dedicated to doing just that.

Our kind and experienced educators are trained to work with students not only in person, but through online sessions with the very same energy and expertise we use in our own classrooms. There is often a concern that online sessions cannot offer the same level of impactfulness that in-person sessions can, particularly when dealing with students with dyslexia. At Bright Minds, we strive to break that myth to show both options can be valuable no matter which route you choose to take for your child. We employ a variety of tools to assist in your child’s education to make online learning fun, engaging, and effective.

WHY GO ONLINE?

We understand that some families have incredibly busy and full lives with jobs, clubs, camps, and other extracurricular activities that can make it difficult to physically schedule and attend intervention services. Bright Minds offers online sessions that can provide a certain flexibility that in-person sessions cannot and allow for both the student and the tutor to select times and days that work best. Since online sessions allow for more versatility, it is entirely possible that sessions can be moved if needed according to the tutor’s availability. With ease, we can fill in that spare half or full hour to provide much needed services that previously may not have been doable thanks to being able to work together online.

Parents may also find that their child may prefer the comfort of their own workspace that they can control, particularly for those children with dyslexia who have anxiety. With the ability to set up their space in their own home, students can decide what materials they want to use, keep fidget toys nearby if needed, and choose their preferred seating (desk chair, stool, or alternative seating such as bouncy balls). Students who struggle with anxiety may prefer this type of arrangement where they have control over their own space and can set it up in a way that will best support them for their session. Attending tutoring services in new places can be nerve-wracking, and this is one way to help students feel more at ease and comfortable in addition to them feeling like they have some input and say in the arrangement.

Some parents may find that online dyslexia sessions can help combat the rising costs of living and is a frugal alternative. Increased costs such as the price of gas can be mitigated with choosing to employ virtual dyslexia options as opposed to attending in-person sessions—not to mention the time saved fighting traffic to and from that typically gets lost. This allows for parents to make more time for the most important things: spending quality time with loved ones doing the activities that are most treasured.

We also understand that some areas may not offer differentiated and individualized services. After receiving a diagnosis or being informed that a child is behind and needs help, some parents may be asking themselves “where can I turn?”. Smaller cities and towns may not have the resources or trained educators to give your child the help they need. Thanks to our online dyslexia services, we are able to connect with families in need of specialized dyslexia remediation no matter where you call home. Regardless if you are a few states away from our base in Wilmington, NC or even on the opposite coast, we are more than happy to be able to connect with you and your child to begin providing necessary and vital services regarding your child’s educational future. Time zone differences are no difficulty; we will do our best to rise to any challenge in order to help your child shine and succeed.

OUR SERVICES

For our reading students who are learning under the Orton-Gillingham curriculum, we use online tools such as Whizzimo, which allows us to use the very same letter and sound tiles we use in our classroom to build sound patterns and words for reading and spelling words, phrases, and sentences. Bright Minds tutors are heavily trained in Orton-Gillingham, a curriculum that is strategically designed to help struggling readers by explicitly teaching the links between letters and sounds. Students with dyslexia, especially, benefit from this specialized approach though all students who need remedial services can find this program to be beneficial in assisting with trouble spots and closing gaps in reading and spelling. Students practice their decoding skills with real and nonsense words as well as sight words. Your child would start by taking a pre assessment to gauge trouble spots, gaps, and areas of mastery to help the tutor decide where to place them. Students will be taught multiple decoding skills so they have plenty of tools in their toolkit when tackling a reading project. By selecting specific passages and word lists, our tutors work to build up a student’s confidence and instill many avenues for problem solving when tasked with reading and spelling words that may be tricky. Progress is continually monitored through constant assessing each week with observational and informal assessments as well as formal, end of book tests. Our tutors will move as quickly as they can, but as slow as they must: we keep pace with your child and only move forward when they are ready to. Concepts are constantly reviewed as we move forward and we continually practice previously learned skills alongside any new concepts that are introduced. Tutors also play numerous online games—some created in house—to reinforce previously learned skills and those that are currently being worked on.

In addition to working on decoding, students will also work on their reading comprehension skills. Our educators accomplish this through passages included in our OG workbooks but also pull from curriculums such as Connect to Comprehension to work on your child’s ability to retell, identify main idea and supporting detail, make inferences, identify cause and effect relationships, make predictions, etc. Our tutors also value your child’s interests; we pull books that they want to read to continue to foster a love of reading and storytelling with their favorite characters all the while working on the above mentioned comprehension skills. Students will get the opportunity to strengthen their oral and written responses. We make sure to make time for activities that allow students to flex their creative skills. Through this work, students are encouraged to respond to surface level questions as well as application questions where they must apply their knowledge and think outside of the box.

For our math students, we also provide heavily personalized instruction based on a pre-assessment that identifies where a student may be struggling. With this data, along with getting to know your child and where their interests lie, tutors put together an individualized curriculum designed to best help your child in the areas they need assistance in. Using a variety of math curriculums and evidence based practices, our tutors teach multiple methods for problem solving depending on what kind of learner your child is. Through explicit instruction, online games, and other virtual tools, students who work with us in mathematics will enjoy varied and engaging sessions all the while working towards meeting their educational goals. Students are also continually assessed and concepts are always revisited as we move forward.

Bright Minds also offers our services with homework help. If your child does not need remedial assistance but rather help in keeping up with their homework, our tutors are also trained in assisting with keeping your child on track and on top of their current studies.

Our tutors have experience teaching social studies and science curriculums. Just like with math and reading, the curriculum is custom built to your child’s needs. Activities and science experiments are age appropriate to give hands on learning that align with state standards. Our tutors are able to use virtual tools to bring both science and history to life.

No matter which subject your child is working with us in, parents are continually updated with regards to progress. We constantly check in to let you know how your child is doing and make sure to celebrate all successes. Parents can receive a quick email or text update or can chat with their child’s tutor over Zoom to discuss how they are performing. We are also more than happy to share copies of their work so you can see what they’re doing as well as walk you through any practices or methods your child is using to aid them in their studies.

TOOLS

While our tutors include a wide variety of tools such as online games, videos, and websites such as Whizzimo and Boom Learning, we also encourage students to have tools in their place of study for them to interact with. While our students can typically use their computer to complete their work, we’ve seen most of our students benefit from manipulatives and other tactile items to help boost their learning. We recommend, no matter the subject, that students have access to a small whiteboard so they can physically write when spelling words and sounds as well as problem solving with regards to math as they continue to develop their fine motor skills. Students can use their fingers or other tactile aid to help them tap out sounds as they work to decode words while wordlist and passage reading. In math, students can also use counting manipulatives such as snap cubes, base ten blocks for place value, fraction bars for understanding fractional quantities, and so on. Although students are engaging with their sessions virtually, your child can still reap the benefits of multi-sensory learning in their own home.

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN VIRTUAL SESSIONS

Parents who decide to work with our tutors through virtual sessions will need to keep some information handy in order to make the most out of our time together. Bright Minds Tutoring uses Zoom to connect with our students; this allows us to speak to and hear each other one-on-one and allows the tutor to share their computer screen and controls. Each tutor has their own account information and will share passcodes and/or links ahead of time so your child can join their sessions at their allotted time. Parents do not need to worry about paying for a Zoom account; you may sign up for a free account and download Zoom client onto your computer.

Keep any links and passcodes needed for your tutor’s virtual waiting room near the designated workstation so they are easily accessed when the session time comes. This is especially important if an adult is not routinely helping to set the student up and it is the responsibility of the student to get themselves logged on and ready. As previously mentioned, tutors will share this information before the first session and can provide it again in the event it is lost, but please try to keep it somewhere safe so you will encounter no difficulties getting into your tutor’s waiting room.

It is important to make sure that your internet connection is strong and can support the work that your child and their tutor will do together since all of the work will take place online. Wired connections are ideal if possible. Wireless connections can still be successful, but make sure to try to put the computer as close to your router as possible. Sessions that are lost due to poor wireless connectivity will be on the responsibility of the parent/guardian who is responsible for payment. But please remember, our tutors are more than happy to help troubleshoot any technical issues to the best of their ability.

Your child will need access to a laptop or desktop computer along with a working microphone and camera. Most laptops come with both already installed but some desktops do not. Some students like to use gaming headsets to reduce background noise, although it is not required. Some students may find some difficulty in using a laptop keypad, so a USB mouse is a useful and suggested alternative. Please keep in mind that Chromebooks, iPads and other tablets, and smartphones are not the best tools for online learning as the tutor will not be able to share mouse control and students will not be able to actively engage in games and other online activities. Tablets and smartphones are also discouraged as the screens tend to be quite small and not ideal for learning.

In order to get the most out of the session time, it is recommended that your child have a quiet and distraction free environment to work in. Whether that is a room to themselves or a corner tucked away from the main traffic of your space, students should have a place they can go to where there are no outside distractions to help them lose their focus. We recommend that students are set up at a table or desk in a comfortable chair where they can sit upright.

For younger students, it is recommended that an adult is nearby that can help if they encounter a technical issue and need assistance. Most of the time, our tutors can help your child troubleshoot the problem, but it can be effective to be nearby in case help is needed. It is recommended that your child have some computer proficiency and can operate a mouse and keyboard correctly so they are successful in their sessions.

As mentioned in the tools section, we recommend that students have a small whiteboard and marker nearby for spelling and letter writing. In lieu of a whiteboard, students can also use paper and pencil. Your child may also keep fidget toys at their workstation to help them work. We encourage any of our students to have any comfort items nearby so long as it is not a distraction. Flexible seating options are also encouraged if your child works best with those.

If there are any technical issues while attempting to join your virtual meeting, parents will have the contact information for their tutor so they may contact them in order to receive help. For other issues like running late and last minute cancellations, parents should also contact their tutor via text or email—and keep in mind our policies with regards to last minute cancellations, which can be found in the parent contract. Tutors will keep your child’s session open fifteen minutes from the start of their session time that day. Once those fifteen minutes have passed and your child has not joined the Zoom session, the tutor will close the session and it is considered a “no show”. If you encounter issues or are running behind, reach out to your tutor as previously mentioned so they are aware and can keep the session open.