Reading tutoring: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What reading tutoring is

Reading tutoring helps students build fluency, decoding and comprehension through guided reading, phonics practice and discussion of texts. Parents book it for young readers who are behind their class, for students who read slowly and lose the story, or for older students who avoid reading assigned books.

Signs you need it

  • The child sounds out words slowly and guesses at the rest from the picture
  • The student reads the words but cannot tell you what happened in the passage
  • Reading aloud is stressful, and the child avoids it at home and in class
  • Homework reading takes much longer than the teacher expects
  • The student has been moved to a lower reading group and is falling further behind

What the pro does

  • Checks the student's reading level, phonics skills and fluency with a short passage
  • Works on sounds and letter patterns with short drills, then uses them in real reading
  • Guides reading aloud with a focus on expression, pace and checking for meaning
  • Teaches comprehension with questions before, during and after the reading
  • Gives short practice reading at home and reviews the book or the passage at the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • The student's age and reading level, since early readers need more phonics work
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • One-on-one tutoring versus a small group
  • Whether the tutor uses the school's reading program or a structured program
  • Whether the tutor provides books and materials, or the family must buy them

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • Whether books, materials and progress notes are included
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will share progress with a parent or the student's teacher

Questions to ask before you hire

  • How do you check my child's reading before you plan the sessions?
  • How do you teach phonics, and how long will my child practice the sounds each week?
  • What do you do when my child guesses a word from the picture?
  • How do you help with comprehension, not only word reading?
  • Do you use the school's reading program, and how do you match it?
  • Do you pass a background check before you work with children?
  • What progress should we see in the first two months?

Red flags

  • Reads the book to the child and does not let them practice reading aloud
  • Skips phonics and tells the child to guess the word from the picture
  • Promises a grade level jump in a short time without checking the child's reading
  • Asks for a long package of sessions before a first assessment

What you can do yourself

A parent can read aloud with the child every day, pause to ask what happened, and let the child sound out one word on each page. Library books at the child's level work well. Hire a tutor when the child cannot decode simple words, when reading is stressful, or when the school has flagged a reading gap.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor reading privately. If the tutor works in a school or a program, that program may have its own rules for teachers and for children's services. Ask whether the tutor has teaching experience or training in reading, and check with your state or local licensing agency for any rules that apply to the program.

Reading tutoring questions

How do I know if my child needs reading help?

Signs include guessing words from pictures, slow reading and not remembering what they read. Ask the child's teacher for a reading assessment, and ask the tutor to check the same skills.

Should my child read aloud at home?

Yes, short and regular reading aloud helps, especially if the child reads at a comfortable level. Ask the tutor which books and how many minutes a day work best for your child.

Does my child need a background check for a reading tutor?

Ask for one before the first session. Many programs and schools require background checks for tutors who work with children, and you should be able to see proof.

Pro reviewers

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