Traditional tutoring typically follows a format of 1 to 3 hours a week over the course of many months or years. For those familiar with this model, the idea of intensive tutoring conducted in 3 to 4 hours per day for 5 days per week can be shocking. 

However, as indicated by Nanci Bell, “if your child is having difficulty with reading, spelling, reading comprehension, or math, they are most likely suffering from a language processing weakness. In order for an individual to become a global, independent reader and thinker, strength in these areas is absolutely mandatory.”

To address language processing weaknesses there are three primary cognitive functions that must be targeted: phoneme awareness—the ability to auditorily perceive sounds within words, symbol imagery—the ability to create mental imagery for sounds and letters within words, and concept imagery—the ability to create an imagined or imaged gestalt (whole) from language. Tutoring that does not provide explicit instruction in all of these areas will lead your child to struggle and experience frustration. 

Daily, intensive instruction is an essential component for providing students with the explicit, systematic instruction necessary to build the three primary cognitive functions that underlie all learning. Why daily intensive instruction? Nanci Bell provides her reasoning: “The rate of learning gain can be improved with intensive intervention. Students with severe weakness in concept imagery may be years behind in language comprehension. For example, Johnny, a student in the fifth grade with reading comprehension at the second-grade level, has a three-year gap between his grade level and his reading comprehension. Even with adequate oral vocabulary and decoding skills, Johnny didn’t gain a year in reading comprehension for each year in school…intervention has to decrease the learning gap by increasing the rate of learning. To increase the rate of learning, you need to provide the right diagnosis and the right instruction, in the right environment. The last is often intensive intervention, four hours a day, five days a week, which results in years of gain in weeks of instruction.” Struggling learners require direct and explicit instruction with frequent opportunities for practice and feedback on performance. Intensive tutoring allows for the ideal learning format and environment. 

But my child cannot pay attention for that long!  

Parents frequently voice concerns that their child will not be able to sustain focus and benefit from instruction for so many hours per day. They are often worried that they will not be able to endure such a rigorous schedule. The key to tackling student regulation towards learning is all in the design of a students individual program. Our sessions are developed to address the learner in the room and only that learner. A typical tutoring session involves a high level of interaction, movement, games, and coaching. Students are provided tools to allow them to bring awareness to their focus and foster their sense of control over their own learning. Further, our students see success quickly and realize they can learn - motivating them to return each day refreshed and ready to tackle all that tutoring has to offer!