Frequently Asked Questions
Dyslexia
1. How do I know if I (or my child) have dyslexia?
There are many warning signs that a person might have dyslexia (check out the Dyslexia Resources page).
If you want to find out for sure, you will need to undergo standardized testing by a professional educational psychologist.
2. Do you test for dyslexia?
No.
I have a Level B assessment qualification through Pearson. This means that I can do a screener (Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener) on children in Kindergarten through grade 3 to determine if they might be "at risk" for dyslexia. Please note - this screener is NOT a diagnostic tool and I cannot diagnose a person with dyslexia. Reach out to me if you have further questions about this screener.
3. Where can I get tested for dyslexia?
Children enrolled in school can get tested by their school division; however, there is often a long waitlist. If you would like to find out sooner, or if you are a person not enrolled in a school division, you can pay a professional educational psychologist who works in private practice to do this testing for you. Please reach out to me if you would like help navigating this in your area.
4. Do I need a diagnosis of dyslexia to work with you?
No.
I specialize in tutoring children and adults who struggle with reading and spelling in the following ways:
They have trouble memorizing spelling words from one week to the next.
They struggle to spell when writing sentences and paragraphs, even with high-frequency words like because, friend, and does.
When writing, they frequently forget that a sentence must begin with a capital letter and end with punctuation.
Although they may be able to read, they typically read slowly and stumble over words.
When encountering an unfamiliar word, they have extreme difficulty sounding it out, despite having been taught phonics.
Reading Tutoring
1. How long will it take for my reading to improve?
Learning to read is a process. In a regular classroom setting, for a typically achieving child, it takes about 1-3 years to be able to fluently sound out most words. (Kindergarten to grade 3ish). After that, reading instruction focuses more on reading comprehension.
The length of time it takes to complete the entire system depends on many factors. Some people will take longer to go through the entire system and should plan on it taking longer to complete the program. We can expect it to take longer when a person has other issues that complicate their learning such as difficulty with attention.
In general, the length of time it takes will depend on:
their age;
the number of times per week they receive tutoring; and
any attention difficulties they might have.
Susan Barton states that it will take students between 18-36 months to reach GRADE-LEVEL using the Barton Reading & Spelling System. Some families decide to discontinue tutoring after a child reaches grade-level while others want to continue to complete the entire program. Completing the entire program is equivalent to a mid-grade 9 reading level in the USA.
Depending on the learner's age, frequency of tutoring, and attention difficulties, we can expect it to take between 2-7 years to complete the entire Barton Reading & Spelling System.
As an example, it would not be reasonable to expect a student who is 6 years old, starting with me as a non-reader, to be reading at a mid-grade 9 level in 2 years. We would expect them to be reading at their grade level within 18-36 months though.
2. Is there an age limit?
Many people start the Barton Reading & Spelling System after learning to read at home or school has been ineffective. A child must be at least 5 years old to start with Habermehl Reading; however, many people are much older than that when they start. There is no upper age limit to receive tutoring.
3. What type of technical equipment do I need for online tutoring?
A laptop or desktop computer (including a mouse) with internet access. A touchscreen computer will also work. (A tablet does not work for the online tutoring platform used.)
Internet speed capable of supporting video conferencing. (Hardwire is preferred.)
Headphones. (Headphones are better than earbuds due to sound quality.)
A computer microphone. (This can be in the computer or part of the headphones.)
A Zoom account for video conferencing.
4. Do you do homework help?
No.
I do not provide homework help for students as my services are specific to teaching students how to read and spell.
Writing
- Will you cover writing intervention?
After a learner has completed Level 4 of the Barton Reading & Spelling System, they are able to read accurately enough to be able to focus on writing instruction as well.
Barton reading tutoring itself does not include writing instruction; however, Susan Barton recommends using the writing program from the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) for explicit and systematic writing instruction for people with dyslexia when they are ready.
2. Does Habermehl Reading provide writing instruction?
Yes.
Sherri Habermehl is an accredited REGISTERED level writing instructor through the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Writing intervention can be done individually at each learner's pace, or through group classes. Check out the Writing & Grammar page for group class listings.
Contact me by email to find out availability of individual writing tutoring or to find out what the best fit for you or your learner will be.
3. How long will writing instruction take?
Each group class/individualized tutoring experience is split into the same sequence of units:
Unit 1: Note Making and Outlines
Unit 2: Writing from Notes
Unit 3: Retelling Narrative Stories
Unit 4: Summarizing a Reference
Unit 5: Writing from Pictures
Unit 6: Summarizing Multiple References
Unit 7: Inventive Writing
*Unit 8: Formal Essay Models
*Unit 9: Formal Critique and Response to Literature
*Units 8 and 9 are introduced for learners who have already received a year of IEW writing instruction, or when they are appropriate.
The learner will go through this sequence each year they work through and IEW writing course. Most learners benefit from receiving IEW writing instruction for 2-3 years; however, this can depend on your goals, timeline, and other factors. Many people continue IEW's writing program until grade 12.
Contact me for a discussion about your specific situation.
Will you be able to help if...
Please note: These questions are framed from the point of view of a parent inquiring about a child. All of the same answers will apply if you are an adult and inquiring about receiving tutoring for yourself.
1. My child has an expressive and/or receptive language disorder. Will you be able to help?
Please reach out to me specifically about the diagnosis. There is a threshold on the CELF assessment (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals) that will indicate whether or not a person will be a good fit to work with Habermehl Reading. If the scores are below the threshold on the CELF, you should work with a Speech and Language Pathologist first.
2. My child has attention difficulties. Will you be able to help?
Yes.
Many people with dyslexia (and other reading struggles) also have attention difficulties. I can still work with them. A person with attention difficulties will take longer to go through the program than a person without attention difficulties who is the same age. We can tailor tutoring times (length of each session) to best support your child. I also plan movement and game breaks within the tutoring session. Additionally, some clients choose to schedule more than 2 tutoring sessions per week to account for difficulties with attention.
3. My child speaks English as an additional language. Will you be able to help?
Your child will need to speak English well enough to understand the discussions we have in each tutoring session. The method of reading instruction used in Habermehl Reading is not designed for English language learners. Please reach out to me if you are unsure about your specific situation.
4. My child has an intellectual disability. Will you be able to help?
Perhaps.
Please reach out to me with your specific situation and we can determine if Habermehl Reading will be a good fit. If your child has received a diagnosis of an intellectual disability, please have your letter of diagnosis available and we can go through it together.
5. My child can read okay but their spelling is awful. Will you be able to help?
Most likely.
Many people I work with will be able to read . . . up to a certain point. They will almost always struggle a lot with spelling though. Reach out to me specifically to find out if Habermehl Reading will be a good fit.
6. My child has no trouble decoding words but they really struggle with understanding what they read (comprehension). Can you help?
Many people I work with will be able to read okay but will struggle with comprehension because of the amount of energy they put into decoding unknown words. If this is your child, then yes, Habermehl Reading can help.
However, if your child can decode anything you give them but ONLY struggles with comprehension, then the intervention I use will not be necessary for them. If you think this is your child's situation, reach out to me and I can let you know if Habermehl Reading will be a good fit or if they would benefit from a different type of support.
7. My child has active seizures. Can you help?
Please reach out to me if this is your situation and we can decide together if Habermehl Reading is a good fit for you.
8. My child has a brain injury. Can you help?
Please reach out to me if this is your situation and we can decide together if Habermehl Reading is a good fit for you.