Reading tutoring in Excelsior, MN

A Day at Lakeside Readers

If you’ve chosen Lakeside Readers for your child’s reading tutor, the first thing you should know is that we’re thrilled and honored. The curriculum we cover at Lakeside Readers includes components of language, speech sounds, word structure, word meaning, and sentence structure. Our reading tutors are certified, or gaining certification, in the Orton-Gillingham approach to give your child a fundamental understanding of the English language. Beginning with the most basic components, units of sounds, all the way to reading comprehension and syntax and grammar, this approach to reading instruction makes reading achievable and enjoyable. For the best Orton-Gillingham reading tutor Excelsior, MN has to offer, call Lakeside Readers at (612) 718-0107 or request a session online!

What will my child learn?

A whole language approach simply doesn’t work for the whole class. When you choose Lakeside Readers for your reading tutor in Excelsior, your child will learn how the English language works, from it’s smallest parts, phonemes, or units of sound, to its structure and grammar. Not all children can learn to read by being read to. The Orton Gillingham approach uses our knowledge of neuroscience to access the parts of the brain responsible for language.

Each session is tailored to your child specifically, and new concepts are introduced sequentially and systematically based on your student's progress to support what your student already knows. New concepts are scaffolded upon previously-learned material. Students will never be expected to know something they haven’t learned. Empowerment is the best way to teach. Through repetition, drills, and a systematic and sequential approach, your child will master skills through the strengthening of synaptic connections in the phonological areas of the brain and increases fluency and automaticity with reading. Perfection through mastery of reading skills creates empowered readers and fulfilled students.

Phonemic awareness

Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate sound auditorily, and is fundamental for your child’s reading success. Before we can start to learn how words are built, we need to learn the sounds that make up those words and how to manipulate those sounds—for example, changing “wish” to “dish.” At the very beginning, we will work on phonemic awareness, recognizing the sounds of the English language and the many graphemes that represent those sounds. Students are taught the most fundamental sounds of language, and develop the skills to break down words into these phonemes.

Sound-letter association

Your child will also be taught to associate the sounds in the English language with letters, the alphabetic principle.

Syllables

Learning syllables and types of syllables. Understanding syllables builds on your child’s knowledge of phonemic environments and informs pronunciation and spelling, allowing your child to read more efficiently and effectively.

Morphology of words

Not only is it beneficial to understand the smallest unit of sound, your student needs to understand the smallest units of meaning to effectively read and understand language. During their Orton-Gillingham tutoring, your reading tutor in Excelsior will teach your child morphemes, or the roots of words. Teach prefixes and suffixes, how words can be changed and morphed

Comprehension

Unless what is read is understood, is it really reading? Focus upon understanding how words makes sentences, sentences form ideas, ideas transfer information is the end goal of all reading instruction.

How frequently will my child need to come?

Each coaching session is one hour long. Students are required to come twice weekly.

Life in the times of COVID-19

Because of COVID-19, all of our tutoring sessions are currently being held virtually.