Please, I urge you to check out the following web site: www.brightsolutions.us

It will give you credible advice and provide you specific information to help a student with speech, language, spelling and comprehension difficulties.

Some students require specialized instruction in order to understand the components of reading and written instruction. Not all students acquire reading skills through osmosis -- some require explicit mult-sensory instruction.

You may also find the attached article of interest:

www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/2349

If you read these entire contents of these previous thread on Slyvan, they will provide some other points to ponder in making a determination of whether a tutoring center or even retired teach would be the best match for your child's particular need:

community.greatschools.net/q-and-a/208897/Sylvan-Learning

AND

community.greatschools.net/groups/11527/discussion/176246

Best wishes.

(447196)

Putting emphasis on speech and language issues is always the right thing to do. Here's a thought - if there time and a place - he might benefit from learning some sign language more as a way to keep him from feeling frustrated. His teachers should be especially patient with him when he does speak to foster his confidence.
If you let him dictate to you while you type for him, together you'll be able to produce some good writing and he will take confidence from that. Let him draw stories sometimes and praise the drawing.

You can call the university's 'graduate education' department and explain to the secretary you're looking for a grad student to tutor your 1st grade son in reading and writing over the summer. Sometimes universities will give out names but likely these days, it's better if you send a fax and ask them to put it up on their bulletin board.
Reading Tutor Wanted for 1st Grade Child
($20 an hour)?? (that would work around here)
Must be Caring, Enthusiastic and Supportive
and grounded in positive teaching techniques.
then put your contact information. Likely you'll get calls and be sure to ask interested parties for a reference.

But.... maybe even first try Craig's List - believe it or not -Craig's List has its issues but you'll find names of tutors there.

Thank you so much TeacherParent.

My son was born with trachia malasia which is where the flaps over the vocal cord floppy. He grew out of it but he had breathing and not gaining enough weight as a baby. He eventually grew out of it but I saw speech issues with him. When he was 4 I put him in a Early Education Center to get him up to speed and get him so speech classes. In my opinion I think I put alot of emphasis on his speech and maybe didn't spend alot of time on his other skills like reading/spelling/communicating.
His issues as I see them are some in his reading. He can read some books but gets stumped on some words, writing needs some help, but his communication skill isn't very good. He has a hard time communicating.
I did take my Son to Sylvan for the diagnostic test. the results were that his word recognition and other was at the Primer level which I was told was Kindergarten and his frustration level was a early 1st grade. Overall his skills set is at beginning 1st grade.
I like your suggestion about reading to him and him reading to me. We do it as a bedtime thing but I admit not enough and I can do better. I will do that. I live near a local university and can look. I'm not sure where though, but I can look through the web.

I just don't know where to ask for a tutor. I checked with the library and they referred me to the High School who had no clue. I will try the university and see.

Thanks again

It depends upon the tutor to which you're assigned. Sylvan's tutors are most often retired or moonlighting teachers - not every teacher is a good tutor and not every good tutor will tutor for a tutoring company.

That said, I'd ask - your post says reading/spelling/communication - do you mean verbal language as well? Or reading/spelling/writing? In either care, people don't agree on what is the best method or program to address reading and spelling issues.

I'd suggest this as this you can do for free. Read aloud to your son every night - for a good 20 minutes if you possibly can. If you don't enjoy reading aloud, then rent books on tape that you would both enjoy and listen to the recording together every night - or as often as you can - for a good 20 minutes. Children with reading/spelling issues are helped by hearing literature - it floods them with language and the 'language banks' in their brains get filled with new vocabulary words and the sounds of sentences and the structure of language.

And your son should be reading - as best he can - every day to himself. Get picture books if he can't read anything on his own. Or one word to a page with a picture. 15 minutes every day.

And ideally he should be working with a tutor to help his further his skills. Are you near any college? You can sometimes find an education major or a senior in college who's going to be a teacher who'd tutor. Or if they have a graduate school, you might find someone who's training to be a reading specialist. Because they're a student, they might charge less.
Have you asked his teacher or principal for recommendations for a private tutor? Are there any summer programs for him in your area?

If you do go with Sylvan, check with your son - does he like this tutor? You have every right to watch a tutoring session. Building confidence is key to reading - we often do better with a task when we think we can do it better. Any tutor should be doing just that - building his confidence and heaping praise on his for his efforts.
But I think with some effort of your own, - ask neighbors - ask at the public library - retired teachers? - you might find your way to a less expensive tutor than Sylvan's.
Good luck.