What program or approach do you use?

We use the Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI) approach. To learn more about how EBLI differs from the Orton Gillingham Approach, sign up for this free webinar.

What does a tutoring lesson include?

All tutoring sessions are personalized for each student and guided by the results of their initial assessment. Each lesson includes the following components.

Explicit Phoneme Awareness
Instruction builds students’ ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in words, a foundational skill for reading and spelling. This is integrated into activities and is also taught in limited amounts in isolation.

Word Analysis and Decoding
Students are taught how to read unfamiliar words by saying each sound in a syllable and then blending the syllable together before moving to the next syllable. Immediate error correction helps students quickly say the correct sound without interruptions and teacher talk.

Integrated Reading and Spelling
Reading and spelling are taught simultaneously, so students build skills in both areas at the same time. For example, with a longer word like “negotiation,” students begin by identifying the syllables they hear and marking each one with a sound line. They then break those syllables into individual sounds, adding a sound line for each sound as they say it aloud.

Along the way, we provide immediate, specific feedback to ensure accuracy and support learning.

As students write, they say each sound aloud, reinforcing sound–letter connections. We then review the word together, making specific corrections and building accuracy. Vocabulary is woven in naturally as we discuss word meanings, such as what “negotiation” means.

To finish, students rewrite the word as it would appear in real reading and writing, then read it back with confidence.

Writing

We often see the greatest gains in students’ writing, with spelling improving alongside it. After students generate a sentence or paragraph, we guide them in making corrections so they leave with an accurate final version.

With a strong emphasis on handwriting and organization, students’ writing becomes clearer and more developed, growing from supported sentences to independent paragraphs over time.

Where are you located?

Our office is based in Northwest Denver, and we now support students both locally and remotely nationwide. Before COVID, we primarily worked with families in the Denver, Wheat Ridge, Westminster, Arvada, and Golden communities.

Do you conduct learning evaluations?

We do not conduct formal learning evaluations. Instead we specialize in the treatment of dyslexia. If you would like to have your child evaluated for dyslexia or other learning disability, we can connect you with several highly recommended clinical psychologists in the Denver Metro area that specialize in this area.

Do you work with adults?

Yes, this is a growing area of our practice. Many adults do not realize that they have dyslexia until college or until they have children of their own and watch them experience the same problems with reading, writing and spelling that they had. It is not too late! We use assessments to determine what areas need to be strengthened and use the same multi sensory and diagnostic approach that has helped so many kids. Invest in yourself.

Will vision therapy help my dyslexic child?

I’ve found that the best answer comes from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Eye M.D. Association.Although the eyes are obviously necessary for vision, the brain performs the complex function of interpreting visual images. Currently no scientific evidence supports the view that correction of subtle visual defects can alter the brain’s processing of visual stimuli.Eye defects, subtle or severe, do not cause the patient to experience reversal of letters, words, or numbers. No scientific evidence supports claims that the academic abilities of children with learning disabilities can be improved with treatments that are based on visual therapy or Neurolological organizational training.These more controversial methods of treatment may give parents and teachers a false sense of security that a child’s reading difficulties are being addressed, which may delay proper instruction or remediation