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Our Basic Reading Philosophy
Yes, there are proven ways to help struggling readers improve and succeed! Both personally individualized lessons and one-on-one tutoring combine to provide the best solution to reading problems. Reading problems are not necessarily related to intelligence. Often truly bright, likable, and talented kids have difficulty reading. Simply stating that comprehension is a school problem creates vague feelings of inadequacy or inferiority in children. Some children who struggle with reading are even labeled as lazy, uncooperative, or problem kids. Often they grow into adulthood with low self-esteem and self concepts that mirror the labels that were inflicted upon them. Recognizing the situation and responding in a positive manner can alter a situation that merely needed timely guidance and direction. Treating the cause, not merely prepping for a test, is the only real solution. Reading is a necessity and can be a joy!
Who can make reading easy? (Methods)
The reader, and only the reader, can make reading easy. Struggling readers must have direct, explicit instruction from nurturing and encouraging people to guide them. With individualized, appropriate, structured, sequential, consistent, systematic strategies and methods provided by a knowledgeable tutor in a multisensory manner, the reader becomes prepared to explore the world that fluent literacy has to offer. When reading becomes fluent, life becomes easier!
Is private tutoring necessary?
Personally individualized lessons combined with focused one-on-one instruction - personalized tutoring - is recognized as the most powerful, efficient and effective form of learning structure. Sounds evolve into words, and words have meaning. When sequenced words have meaning, reading skills dramatically improve. When reading skills improve, success improves. As success improves, self-concepts and self esteem improve. Life takes on new direction and new meaning.
Have past classroom activities and other methods of aquiring successful reading methods worked? If not, then the next logical step should probably be professional, private tutoring by caring people who are sensitive to your child as a human being. You know what your child's needs are, and an individualized approach is matched and tailored to the needs of your child.
At what age should tutoring for reading skills begin?
Research overwhelmingly shows that the earlier the intervention, the better. Whenever the reading difficulty is discovered is the time to begin improvement. Whatever age someone happens to be is the right age. If nothing is done at eight years of age, waiting until the age of nine or fifty-nine isn't going to make it any better. Begin as soon as possible. Do not let "lazy" or "doesn't try hard enough" labels interfere with your child becoming a winner!
Who and where are tutors who can help?
Ken and Mary Lou Previti are private reading tutors in Brevard County, Florida who utilize the Wilson Reading System, Project Read, and Orton-Gillingham methods of multisensory teaching techniques along with supplementary materials from Educational Publishing Services to individualize direct and explicit reading instruction for struggling readers of all ages. As reading specialists they use what works! They care about children of all ages. Let Ken and Mary Lou serve you and those you love. Your child can benefit by learning to read fluently and independently. Make reading easy!
Why are Ken & Mary Lou Previti the tutors for you and those you love? Credentials & Background
Ken Previti has a B.A. in Education from Chicago Teachers College/ Illinois State University, an M.A. in Education from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). With over thirty years of teaching experience in Illinois public schools, Ken's background in English/ Language Arts led to taking over thirty graduate level credits most of which focused on developing reading skills for students with reading difficulties. In addition, Ken wrote the curriculum for Lyons Township H.S., Illinois for ACT & SAT preparation in the reading/English sections. Students averaged in the top 10% of the nation under this program. During Ken's 15 year membership in the International Dyslexia Association, he was an elected Board Member of the Illinois Branch, one of the most active and highly regarded branches. Presently he is president of the Suntree/Viera Friends of the Library. His devotion to working with children and young adults is a driving force in his life.
Mary Lou Previti has a B.A. with a minor in English from the University of Illinois Chicago Campus. Her 15 year membership in the Illinois Branch of the International Dyslexia Association led to attending courses, workshops, and conferences conducted by Barbara Wilson, Priscilla Vail, and other luminaries in the field of Dyslexia Studies. After membership and committee work in three Chicago area chapters (LaGrange, Winnetka, and Naperville) of CHADD, the largest national organization for serving the needs of children and adults with attention-deficit disorders, Mary Lou was elected to the position of vice-president of the Naperville, Illinois Branch of CHADD. She learned that often ADD and reading problems co-exist in people. Presently she is involved with various committees of the Suntree/Viera Friends of the Library. Because of her shared interests and activities with Ken's work and her personal dedication to serving the needs of children who require the individualized teaching methods, Mary Lou's life naturally led to private tutoring.
The reasons to entrust your child to the care of these two particular reading tutors can be based upon their expertise in reading skills and their sincere respect for children of all ages. Ken & Mary Lou look forward to bringing their skills to those you love.
Warning Symptoms of Reading Difficulties or Dyslexia
This short list of possible symptoms is not intended to be all inclusive or diagnostic. No two people with dyslexia, just as no two people with freckles, are exactly alike. The presence of multiple symptoms, the degree of their severity, and the extent to which they impact individuals indicate the need to consider a professional assessment for reading problems that require intervention.
Everyone has experienced some these things. How many occur, how often they occur, how intense the situation is, the degree of disability that they cause, and the interference in reading, learning and understanding determine the need for reading intervention and tutoring. Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of whether or not specialized reading instruction is needed for your child.
Wilson Reading System: A Brief Description
"The Wilson Reading System is a complete decoding (reading) and encoding (writing) curriculum, directly teaching word structure with a highly structured 12 step program... Sight word and vocabulary instruction is incorporated from the beginning as well as application of skills for fluency and comprehension with progressively more challenging text. Skills and knowledge are reinforced through visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile senses - and learned to mastery... Unlike other programs that overwhelm the students with rules, WRS directly teaches word structure in a systematic and cumulative manner so it is manageable."
Project Read: A Brief Description
"Project Read is a research-based language arts program that meets the National Reading Panel's ... essential components of effective reading instruction. Project Read honors (a wide variety) of learning profiles and provides curricula with lessons built on direct concept teaching, multisensory processing, systematic instruction and higher level thinking skills."
Orton-Gillingham Methods: A Brief Description
"Dr. Samuel T. Orton, a neurologist who was one of the first to describe dyslexia as a neurological difference, and Anna Gillingham, a teacher, developed effective teaching methods using a multisensory, structured language approach. These pioneers knew it was important that individuals be taught a method that involves several senses - hearing, seeing, touching - at the same time. They further determined that many individuals with reading difficulties need one-on-one help so that they can move forward at their own pace."
