Why Your Child Is Still Struggling to Read (Even With Dyslexia Tutoring)
If your child has been in tutoring for months or even years and reading is still hard, you’re not alone.
Many parents come to me feeling:
confused
exhausted
discouraged
and worried that their child will never catch up
They’ve done what they were told to do:
consistent tutoring
structured programs
phonics practice
reading support at home
And yet…
your child still guesses
reading is slow and effortful
fluency won’t build
confidence is shrinking
So what’s going on?
First, let’s clear something up: your child is not lazy
Most struggling readers are trying incredibly hard.
They are often:
bright
thoughtful
motivated
sensitive
and painfully aware they’re behind
Reading struggles are rarely about effort.
They’re almost always about missing foundational skills and an approach that doesn’t match how the brain learns language.
Why dyslexia tutoring doesn’t always work (even when it’s “good” tutoring)
Many families assume that if they choose a well-known dyslexia tutoring approach, their child will automatically become a fluent reader.
But the truth is, not all dyslexic children respond to the same methods.
Even evidence-based programs can fail when:
the instruction is too slow
the child is overwhelmed
key skills are missing
or the method doesn’t build automatic reading in real text
Here are the most common reasons I see.
1. Your child may know phonics… but still can’t read
This surprises many parents.
A child can often:
learn letter sounds
learn phonics patterns
decode in word lists
and do well during lessons
But then reading on their own looks like a completely different child.
This is because reading isn’t just knowing phonics.
Reading requires automatic integration.
If the brain has to work too hard to decode each word, the child:
slows down
loses the sentence
becomes exhausted
and begins guessing
2. Guessing is a coping strategy, not a character flaw
Many struggling readers guess because it feels like the only way to survive.
They may:
look at the first letter and guess
skip unknown words
substitute a word that “kind of fits”
rely on context instead of decoding
Guessing isn’t a bad habit.
It’s a sign that reading feels too hard and too slow.
When the missing skills are built properly, guessing fades naturally.
3. For many kids, Orton-Gillingham becomes cognitive overload
This is one of the biggest reasons families come to me after years of tutoring.
Orton-Gillingham (and OG-based programs like Barton or Wilson) can be helpful for many children.
But for some struggling readers, it becomes overwhelming because it often requires children to hold too much in their working memory.
They may be asked to memorize:
phonics rules
syllable types (open, closed, vowel team, r-controlled, etc.)
rule exceptions
sight words
spelling generalizations
and multiple steps for decoding multisyllable words
Then they’re expected to apply all of it during real reading in real time.
For a dyslexic brain, that can feel like trying to solve a puzzle while running.
The child may understand the lesson, but when they read independently:
the rules don’t transfer
the strategy disappears
and fluency never builds
Reading requires automaticity.
If the process is too complex, the brain can’t apply it fast enough.
4. Many tutoring programs don’t build true word recognition
One of the most overlooked skills in reading is automatic word recognition.
Fluent readers do not sound out every word.
They recognize thousands of words instantly because their brain has mapped:
the sounds
to the letters
to the meaning
Many struggling readers never develop this mapping automatically.
So even if they’ve “learned phonics,” reading still feels slow and fragile.
5. Your child may have deeper language-based gaps
Some children also have challenges with:
phonemic manipulation
speech-to-print skills
rapid naming
language processing
working memory
vocabulary and background knowledge
If these are not addressed directly, progress can stall.
And parents are left thinking:
“We’re doing everything… why isn’t it working?”
What actually helps dyslexic and struggling readers make real progress
Real progress happens when reading instruction is:
✔ Root-cause based
Not just “more phonics,” but identifying the missing pieces.
✔ Brain-aligned
Less memorizing. More mapping and automaticity.
✔ Structured and explicit
Clear steps, taught in the right order.
✔ Intensive enough to create change
Not stretched thin over years.
✔ Built for transfer into real reading
Not just isolated drills.
A simpler way: reading should be mapped, not memorized
Many struggling readers don’t need more rules.
They need a process that helps their brain store language more efficiently.
This includes:
phonemic awareness and manipulation
sound-to-print mapping
structured practice that builds automaticity
controlled text for accuracy-first fluency
repetition that strengthens word recognition
When the brain is taught in a way that reduces cognitive overload, reading becomes easier, faster, and more confident.
Signs your child needs a different approach
If your child has had tutoring but still:
guesses frequently
reads slowly and laboriously
avoids reading
struggles with fluency
can decode in practice but falls apart in real reading
has done OG tutoring for years without becoming fluent
…it may be time for a different plan.
It’s not too late (even if your child is older)
I work with children ages 7 and up, including many who have struggled for years.
When the right approach is used, I often see:
increased confidence within weeks
measurable gains within months
and real changes in fluency and accuracy
Reading doesn’t have to take years to improve.
What to do next
If you’re feeling stuck, here’s what I recommend:
Stop blaming yourself or your child
Look deeper than surface-level tutoring
Get clarity on what’s actually missing
If you’d like help understanding why reading still isn’t clicking for your child, I offer a free Reading Breakthrough Call.
On this call, we’ll talk through:
what your child is struggling with
what you’ve already tried
and whether my 1:1 online reading therapy program is the right fit
If it’s not, I’ll tell you honestly.
