About me
WHO AM I?
“I distinctly remember my elation when I managed to help a particular 10-year-old student, whose reading and writing proficiency was initially around kindergarten level,” recalls Alvin Soh, founder of private Dyslexia tuition, Read Tutor.
“When I first met him, he could speak very well and would excitedly tell me about the latest cartoons, toys, and videos. However, he could not read the same words that he spoke. Before I started tutoring him, he was unable to break down the sounds of the letters in ‘C-A-R’. After a few weeks, he was able to figure out many 2-4 letter words, and became interested to try to read books! His parents noticed his newfound interest too, as he was asking them to buy and borrow more books for him to improve on his own.”
- Specialist Diploma in Learning Support for Specific Learning Differences
Other certifications
- Dyslexia & Literacy Teaching
- Morphology Teaching
- Education Psychology
- Supporting At Risk Preschoolers
- Taught in local context for the child (Singapore)
- Dyslexia and Chinese Language Support
Services
1-on-1 lessons plans with dyslexia children
A trained and certified educator who is well-versed in the Orton Gillingham Approach, Alvin applies his wealth of personal experience toward scaffolding the development of dyslexia learners in literacy and fluency. His Dyslexia lesson plans leverage specialised techniques that focus on phonological awareness and reading fluency, which help young learners master the mechanics of the English language.
His systematic and dynamic dyslexia lessons plan to assist dyslexic learners in catching up with their peers and the school syllabus. Early intervention can help a dyslexic child gain automaticity early in life.
Alvin also offers support for parents that help them better understand dyslexia and how to overcome each unique child’s learning difficulties. With the support, parents will be equipped with techniques that they can supplement their child’s learning, and involve their daily life in nurturing the learning development of their children.
Experiences
“Dyslexic children get emotionally affected easily over time without intervention. They get negative and upset with words related tasks and learning and even throw fits just to avoid reading and writing. That’s why it is important for us to be patient and nurture them with the right techniques. When we help change the way our children perceive reading and writing, they will start learning proactively and take pride in refining their literacy skills.”
“I teach learners phonics and finger spelling, which are ways of breaking words apart. Mastering these techniques, they can then apply these same techniques to understand all kinds of words for the rest of their lives. Many of my ‘slow learner’ students were ecstatic when they caught up with their classmates and their school syllabus. When they were with their parents, they would enthusiastically share what they had learned in school. The happiness that I derive from helping them overcome their learning difficulties, is priceless.”
FAQ about lessons
Q: My child was assessed officially that he has Dyslexia. Why do you need to conduct the assessment again?
A: It is an informal assessment that helps to determine the learner’s area of strengths and weaknesses in literacy skills, and interests to pique their interest in learning.
Q: Can my child attend other language tuition at the same time?
A: It will be ineffective as the learner will need to master the skills before they are able to absorb regular language tuition, and they will be overwhelmed if they start on other languages at the same time.
Q: How is Read Tutor different from the Dyslexia classes in tuition school?
A: Unlike regular tuition, intervention requires customisation of dyslexia lesson plans specifically for the learner, which makes it hard to group learners together. Learners will benefit faster and better through the effectiveness of 1-on-1 teaching.
Q: What is the outcome should I be expecting after lessons with Read Tutor
A: Depending on the literacy level of the learner, there should be measurable improvements in literacy in a couple of months of lessons. Learners will advance in their skills in reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, and writing and will be able to build new vocabulary on their own.
Q: My child is already in upper primary, is it too late for the intervention?
A: Literacy level is not measured by age. Dyslexic intervention is like learning a skill and it is fine to start from ground zero despite of age. However, the style of teaching and references will be adjusted based on the maturity of the learner.