Reading Tutor Program
Grace Occupational Therapy provides effective and systematic instruction for low-progress readers. The protocol used has been extensively researched over 30 years and has proven to achieve positive outcomes for students struggling to read. Some students have made gains equivalent to 15 months within two full school terms of participating in the program.
Reading is a skill for life and provision of a supportive and effective program can help to develop the key reading skills needed to participate in the classroom and keep up with the curriculum as they progress through school.
Students who fail to learn to read by the usual methods in the first few years of school or who continue to struggle to read need one-to-one intensive, systematic reading instruction. The Reading Tutor Program caters for students who have not acquired the basic skills needed to become functional readers.
Research shows that the most effective programs of reading instruction for low-progress readers involve systematic and explicit instruction in three main areas:
- ‘phonics’ (word attack skills)
- Sight words recognition; and
- Supported book reading
The Reading Tutor Program incorporates all three key features: word attack skills, sight words and reinforced reading. Remedial programs, delivered as an individualised one-to-one program, that include these elements are far more likely to achieve positive results and satisfactory progress.
Many schools are currently offering the Reading Tutor Program and we would encourage you to talk to your school as this is sometimes offered as a “reading recovery” program within the school. However, it is important for the program to be delivered as per the protocol to achieve positive long-term results after two terms. Grace Occupational Therapy offer the program to parents who feel their child needs additional reading tutor support. The added benefit of Grace Occupational Therapy delivering the program is having the support from a reading tutor with the added skills of working with children with Autism and other disabilities that may need additional reading assistance and their individual learning needs considered.