Question
My son’s reading assessment has him reading at kindergarten level. Given his anxiety and that he has been in a Waldorf environment in the past, reading/spelling has not been the focus and he’s struggling. I think we have found a new therapist but I was wondering if you could recommend a tutor or do you think an educational therapist that can work with him each week on reading and his feelings around it.
Right now, whenever he needs to do an independent task at school that involves reading or spelling he has become disruptive to the class and he’s found himself in the office, removed from the group and the damage is just done. They aren’t following up or coaching.
I’m working with his teacher to support him before he gets to this point but frankly there are too many kids right now for him to get the one-on-one time he needs to improve and feel safe. They are adding a classroom and will move him when it’s finished in the coming weeks but for now this is what we are facing. I know his confidence around reading and spelling is behind all of it. So a tutor is what comes to mind as the homework battle is really bad and I don’t want that for him. Help….
Answer
Make sure to have a conversation with him that explains that being a student means we have to be willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Let him know that all the students in his class have things they do well and things they are still working on and for him reading and spelling is what he is working on.
Definitely an educational therapist is the way to go. Because a regular tutor, unless highly gifted and themselves neuro-divergent, will probably have a hard time helping him.
Here is a place I recommend:
https://lightuplearning.com/
This is an old video I made about learning and mistakes. He may not like it but it can help you to think through what you would say to him. I made this for another parent’s daughter who was having a hard time making mistakes while learning.