Every Child Can Become a Proficient Reader.

The Science of Reading (SOR) is the comprehensive body of research — from cognitive neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and education — that tells us how the brain learns to read. Decades of research converge on a clear finding: most children learn to read best through structured, explicit, systematic phonics instruction, not through guessing from context or exposure to "leveled" books.

The SOR has strong implications for instruction. Methods like balanced literacy and three-cueing (using pictures, context, or word shape to guess at words) are not supported by evidence and actively interfere with the development of accurate decoding. Every lesson I teach is grounded in what the research actually says.

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a structured, multisensory, explicit, and systematic approach to literacy instruction developed in the 1930s by neurologist Samuel Orton and educator Anna Gillingham. It is widely regarded as the gold standard intervention for students with dyslexia and reading difficulties, and is endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association.

OG differs from general tutoring in that it is diagnostic and prescriptive — instruction is driven by what each individual student knows and doesn't yet know. It is also deeply sequential: concepts are introduced in a specific order, each building on the last, with no gaps. I am trained through IMSE (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) with fidelity certification, meaning my sessions follow the approach with rigor, not loosely.

No. Many of my students do not have a formal diagnosis. If your child is struggling to read — regardless of label — structured, evidence-based instruction is likely to help. My informal literacy assessment will give us a clear instructional picture regardless of whether a psycho-educational evaluation has been completed.

That said, if you suspect dyslexia or another learning difference, I am happy to discuss whether a formal evaluation might be worth pursuing and can point you toward resources.

An OG session follows a consistent structure, which is itself a key feature of the approach — consistency reduces cognitive load for the student, letting them focus on the content rather than the format.

A typical 45–60 minute session includes: (1) phonological awareness warm-up drills, (2) review of previously taught phonics concepts, (3) introduction of a new phonics concept with explicit teaching, (4) word-level practice — decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling), (5) fluency work with connected text, and (6) passage reading with comprehension discussion. The exact balance shifts based on each child's needs on that day.

There is no honest one-size-fits-all answer to this. It depends on the size of the skill gap, the frequency of sessions, how much practice happens at home, and the child's specific learning profile. I am transparent about this from the start.

What I can say: students who come twice a week consistently typically progress significantly faster than those who come once a week. Most families see meaningful gains within 3–6 months of consistent, twice-weekly work. Progress monitoring every 6–8 weeks gives us concrete data to assess growth.

Yes. I offer both in-person sessions in New York and fully virtual sessions via video. OG instruction translates well to virtual delivery — I use digital manipulatives, shared screen tools, and structured materials that maintain the multisensory experience online. Many families find virtual sessions more convenient and just as effective.

For very young children (PreK–K) or those with significant attentional challenges, in-person is often preferred, but we can discuss what's right for your child.

I believe tutoring is most effective when it is not siloed from the school environment. With family permission, I am happy to communicate with classroom teachers, reading specialists, and special education teams. I can also attend IEP/CSE meetings as a family advocate, review current school literacy programs, and help you understand what to ask for in school planning meetings.

I provide written progress summaries that can be shared with schools to demonstrate growth and inform future service decisions.