Break the guessing habit – Let’s teach them to read and spell with confidence by explaining the why behind the words. We build a strong reading foundation through customized plans and virtual face-to-face tutoring and dyslexia intervention, both in San Antonio and Nationwide.
Whereas many programs try to start at or near grade level, our program takes every student back to the beginning so we can fill in all their learning gaps and give them a solid foundation to stand on. Our complete 10 Book system is an explicit, systematic, and multi-sensory approach to reading and spelling that equips students with every skill they need to be a successful reader and speller. Here is how we do this.
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No long term commitments
Some learning centers require 6 and 12 month commitments for their programs. We are so sure of our program, coaches and student success, that we pride ourselves on offering
We teach for true understanding
And we do this using a proven program. The Barton Reading and Spelling System is a research-based, Orton-Gillingham program that is proven to be effective with dyslexic children. Appropriate and intensive reading intervention rewires pathways in your child’s brain to make reading more efficient. Traditional tutoring will not accomplish this.
We are Specialists, not Tutors
A tutor is someone who is good at or knowledgeable about reading. A dyslexia specialist is someone who specializes in working with the dyslexic brain and making differences in their neurological reading pathways. If tutoring hasn’t worked, more tutoring won’t help. It may be time for a specialist.
We provide a unique learning experience that is engaging
Parents sometimes worry that virtual instruction might not be a good fit for their child. Our coaches come with years of experience and work hard to create lessons that are engaging for each individual student. Coaches keep in mind their specific students learning challenges and unique needs. Whether it is a child with ADHD who thrives on movement and entertaining games or a child with auditory processing needs who needs repetition and patience, our coaches rise to the challenge and come prepared with plenty of resources.
Personal Instruction that is Convenient
Your child will develop a relationship with one coach and will exclusively work with them one-on-one to ensure your child is able to learn at a pace that suits them. Our sessions are engaging and interactive. We offer you the ability to go on with your life, make dinner, do chores, or relax in your home while we work with your child. No need to waste time sitting in traffic, waiting in an office for an hour, and driving back home. We come to you.
Which of these best describes your child’s current struggles?
Spends hours studying for spelling tests but can’t retain the words from one week to the next.
Struggles to master those high frequency words like “because”, “friend”, and “does”.
Can usually read to a point, but doesn’t know how to sound out unknown words.
Constantly leaves out letters when spelling words. Instead of “bed” he writes “bd” or instead of “slip” he writes “sip”
My child can read a word perfectly on one page, but then when the same word appears on another page, she has no idea what it is.
We recognize this is an investment in your child’s future – this is something we take seriously.
Our sessions are 50 minutes long and take place virtually. Our contracts are month-to-month and do not require a long-term commitment, meaning you are free to cancel at any time. Sessions with us begin as low as $65 per session (to be paid at a flat monthly tuition depending on the number of sessions per week) and can vary depending on your child’s unique needs.”
Once you have reviewed the consultation series, complete these steps:
Step 1
Fill out our Learning Styles & Background Questionnaire.
Step 2
Pay your Deposit.
Step 3
Get matched with your coach and begin your virtual journey
We totally understand your concerns and want to assure you that we are very used to working with young wiggle worms. While we want to make sure your child gets the most out of every session, we also want them to enjoy the experience and look forward to their sessions. The benefit of our 1-on-1 sessions is that your child will be matched with one specific coach who will really get to know your child and their needs . Sometimes we push, sometimes we play. Its all about figuring out what your child needs.
If your child is struggling to read and spell it is likely because he/she has some gaps in their foundation. The foundational skill of reading and spelling is a skill called phonemic awareness, and decades of research tells us that if a child has poor phonemic awareness skills, then they will likely never go on to be good readers. Thus, we follow the research and start from the beginning so we can be sure to fill in any and all gaps. The good news is that we are always able to move at the child’s own pace. If certain activities are too easy for them and they don’t seem to have any gaps with it, we are able to speed right along through the lessons. Likewise, when they really seem to struggle, we are also able to slow down and take time to make sure they completely understand before moving on.
This program is a full fledged reading and spelling curriculum that is designed to take a student from from the very beginning to the end of their reading journey (think from kinder to high school). While the exact amount of time needed to complete the program can’t be guaranteed, parents should expect this to be a multi-year process. Multiple factors go into how long program completion will take such as severity of learning differences and cognitive abilities, the number of sessions per week your child attends, consistency of attendance, etc. Some of our students have flown through the program in as little as 2.5 years, and others have taken closer to 5 years to complete due to their unique circumstances. So while we can’t guarantee exactly how long it will take, we can guarantee that you will be amazed by the results you see along the way.
We do not require students finish any specific number of books with us. We do not have any long term contracts and students are with us on a month to month basis. That said, we do strongly encourage that students, especially dyslexic students do eventually complete all 10 Books, even if some breaks are needed to get there. Sometimes parents are tempted to stop once they see progress being made because they think that their child’s reading problem has been solved; however, this progress means that the program is working and the child should continue on! When students stop before completing higher levels, they miss out on learning important strategies and rules for reading the longer and more complex words they will encounter in high school, college, and in regular adult life. Completing all 10 levels ensures they have the tools to be successful readers and spellers for life.
We believe that all students should make observable progress within a reasonable amount of time, but what this progress looks like will vary from student to student. Students who receive this program at an earlier age/grade will tend to show progress faster because there hasn’t been enough time for a significant learning gap to be created. Young students only need to complete the first 2-3 books before they will be actively reading simple sentences and short stories which are expected at their age. Older students will have a larger gap to fill and it will take a longer time before they are able to read/spell words that match their comprehension level or grade level. This doesn’t mean that progress isn’t being made though, it might just look different than you expect. This is where your coach comes in. Our coaches will keep you informed and updated with how your child is doing and what progress they actively see being made during these sessions.
The relationship built between student and coach is incredibly important to student success. At Fearless Readers, we want our students to enjoy their sessions as much as possible and this will only happen if the student feels known, understood, comfortable, and connected with their personal coach. Our coaches will go to great lengths to get to know your child during these sessions so they can create the most optimal learning environment for them. Sometimes this may mean fun and games, and other times this may look like pushing students to persevere through challenges. Before placing your child with their coach, you will fill out our Learning Styles and Background Questionnaire form which will allow you to tell us more about your child’s learning history, personality, learning style, and unique needs. We will take that information along with the availability you provide and look for the best possible match for your child. Our coaches are all excellent teachers who are passionate about literacy and dyslexia intervention. They all have unique backgrounds in teaching and education that make them perfect for their role with us. We can’t wait for you to meet your coach!
No worries! While we want to stick to a set schedule for our sessions, we know that life happens. If you are sick, or just need to take a vacation just let us know ahead of time and we will schedule a makeup session with you at your earliest convenience. If a longer break is needed, we can always pause our services and then pick back up again as soon as you are ready.
Often times we think if 1 is good, then 2 must be better! However, this is usually not the case with reading intervention. Every reading intervention program will have its own way of teaching things. Certain concepts and rules will be introduced at different times and names of rules will vary from program to program. Having your student do two different programs at the same time will cause them to juggle too much at once and we usually see that the child will be confused during our sessions as they try to use the strategies they learned in one program in an inappropriate way during their sessions with the other program. For example, some programs teach students to spell words with a “silent e” at the end earlier than our program does. As a result, we often see students try to spell words with a “silent e” at the end, even though we haven’t taught them how to do that yet, instead of using the rules we have taught them. Because of the confusion and added stress it can place on the child, our recommendation is that your child only do one intervention program at a time.
Offering the Barton Reading and Spelling System with fidelity is our top priority. We work hard to make sure we are following the rules and standards of the program developer, Susan Barton. Because this program is meant to be an intensive intervention, and students need consistent exposure to the rules and ample opportunity to practice, we require every student attend a minimum of 2 sessions per week.
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