Dyslexia Tutors for Children and Teenagers

A dyslexia tutor teaches a dyslexic child or teenager the reading, spelling and writing skills that dyslexia makes harder, in structured one-to-one sessions that build on each other week by week. Families who enquire with Taylor Tuition receive tutor recommendations, with sessions online for families across the UK and internationally or in person in central London.

The British Dyslexia Association describes dyslexia as a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills, and the consensus definition it publishes identifies difficulties in reading fluency and spelling as key markers. Tutors teach those skills, while diagnosis is a separate step carried out by a qualified assessor.

What does a dyslexia tutor work on?

Specialist dyslexia teaching is usually structured, cumulative and multisensory: each skill is taught explicitly, practised until it is secure and revisited, using sight, sound and movement together.

• Phonological awareness and phonics, so that a child can hear, blend and segment the sounds in words
• Reading accuracy and fluency, moving from decodable texts to age-appropriate reading
• Spelling patterns and rules, practised in writing as well as in isolation
• Written expression, from planning and sentence construction to structuring longer answers
• Study skills such as note-taking, memory strategies, organisation and assistive technology like text-to-speech
• Subject work and exam preparation at GCSE and A-Level, practised with any access arrangements the school has agreed

Dyslexia tutoring at primary and secondary school

At primary school, tutoring usually concentrates on phonics, decoding and spelling, building on the systematic synthetic phonics that state schools in England teach from Reception and the phonics screening check in Year 1. Short, frequent sessions with plenty of review tend to suit younger children.

At secondary school, the focus shifts to reading speed, written expression, revision and exam technique across subjects, since the volume of reading and writing rises sharply at GCSE. Tutoring at this stage often works through the student's own classwork and past papers, practised with the arrangements the school has put in place.

Does my child need a dyslexia diagnosis before tutoring?

No diagnosis is needed to start tutoring, and support at school is based on need without waiting for one either. A diagnostic assessment from an educational psychologist or a specialist teacher holding an Assessment Practising Certificate gives a detailed picture of a child's profile, which a tutor can use to plan sessions.

The school's SENCO can arrange screening, though the British Dyslexia Association is clear that screening tests can indicate possible dyslexic difficulties without providing a diagnosis. The ADHD vs dyslexia guide and the educational psychologist assessment guide set out the routes to a diagnostic assessment.

Dyslexia, school support and exams

Dyslexia sits under cognition and learning, one of the four broad areas of need in the SEND Code of Practice, and support at school usually runs through SEN support led by the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). Where needs are more complex, a family or school can ask the local authority for an EHC needs assessment, as the SEN tutoring page explains.

For GCSEs and A-Levels, access arrangements such as 25% extra time, a reader or a word processor are decided and applied for by the school under JCQ regulations, based on evidence of need and the candidate's normal way of working. Practising timed work in tutoring sessions with the same arrangements helps a student get used to them before the exams, and the exam access arrangements guide explains the evidence schools need.

What qualifications should a dyslexia tutor have?

Families can ask any prospective tutor about specialist qualifications and experience with dyslexic learners. Recognised specialist qualifications include Level 5 qualifications in teaching learners with specific learning difficulties, Level 7 qualifications covering specialist teaching and assessment, Associate Membership of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA), and the Assessment Practising Certificate held by specialist teachers who carry out diagnostic assessments. Qualified Teacher Status and primary or English teaching experience are also relevant, particularly for younger children.

More than 100 tutors on our books have declared experience supporting pupils with SEN. Tutor profiles for primary English, Key Stage 3 English and GCSE English show each tutor's subjects, and the introductory session that begins every placement is the time to ask about experience with dyslexia.

How tutoring with Taylor Tuition works

Every placement begins with an introductory session with the matched tutor, and we re-match at no extra cost if the fit is wrong. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject; there is no registration fee and the initial consultation is free.

Tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are registered on the DBS Update Service. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the tutor pool includes former heads of department and school leaders, experienced exam-board examiners, and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact at Taylor Tuition.

Families can share their child's age, school year and any assessment report with the enquiry. Send an enquiry and we reply with tutor recommendations, or ask for a call back to talk it through first.

Related guides

• SEN tutoring
• ADHD vs dyslexia
• Educational psychologist assessments
• Exam access arrangements
• IEPs and SEN support plans in England
• How to get an EHCP
• Developing early reading skills
• How to encourage a child to read