Here are the notes from our most recent Parent Meeting. When your child begins instruction at Finch Tutoring, you have access to a wonderful support network of other parents who are on the same journey as you and your child. We meet every two months and discuss a variety of different topics. We also share questions, ideas, and strategies in an active Facebook Group which all parents of children in Finch Tutoring may access. 

Thanks to everyone who came Saturday. We had a fantastic meeting. As one parent was leaving, she commented, "I always feel so good after these meetings." That is the purpose behind our gatherings - to share great information in a supportive environment. As promised, here is a list of links about topics we covered. For those of you who could not make the meeting, I've provided a brief description next to the link. If you have questions, please post them here and someone will help.

I will be planning our next meeting for April or early May. Please feel free to provide any topic ideas. I know we will be planning a meeting on using technology for writing. I'll post more details in a future post. Here are the links:

AIM Virginia - https://aimva.org/ - an organization that can provide free access to audiobooks, like Learning Ally, if you meet certain qualifications.

Bookshare - Free audiobooks for students with language based learning differences. All you have to do is sign up, and I can sign off on the paperwork. Books are read by a computer voice.
Learning Ally - http://www.learningally.org/Home.aspx - A fantastic organization that keeps getting better. Memberships include access to a variety of resources including audiobooks that are read either professionally or by a computer. Memberships are $119 annually, however you may be able to get the cost covered through AIM Virginia.

Overdrive - An app that is available for a variety of devices, including tablets and phones. Gives you access to free audiobook rentals through your public library network.
​
Kindle Fire Kids + Whispersync - http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Edition-Display-Wi-…/…/B00YYZEQ1G - A truly awesome combination. Buy ebooks through amazon.com for your Kindle Fire and then add professional narration from Audible.com for about $3 per book. The kids version of the Kindle Fire is $100 and comes with a protective case and 2 year warranty. In a future post, I'll provide some recommendations on how to get the most out of your audiobooks.

Audible - http://www.audible.com/ - Professionally read audiobooks for a monthly fee.
Livescribe Pen - https://www.livescribe.com/en-us/ - This is an amazing tool that we will cover more in a future meeting.

Fiverr - www.fiverr.com - This is the website mentioned by one of the parentes where you can hire people to provide services for you for as little as $5. He uses it specifically to hire people to write text for his business projects.

Selecting a quality tutor for your struggling reader is critical. Initially, you may be feeling overwhelmed with finding out your child is behind in reading or has been diagnosed with a language-based learning difference such as dyslexia. As with everything, knowledge is power. It's important to understand what questions to ask as you begin your search for a highly trained reading tutor. In this article, Susan Hall does a wonderful job of helping parents understand what to look for in a tutor. 

The article highlights the importance of using a multisensory structured language (MSL) approach for instructing students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences. It is vital that you seek out and find someone with extensive training in such a method as well as a significant amount of experience successfully implementing the strategies with students. The article specifically mentions Orton-Gillingham and Lindamood-Bell programs as two examples.  

Ms. Hall never mentions seeking a tutor with a specific university degree, including reading specialist. Unfortunately, teaching degree programs vary from school to school and often do not include training in MSL strategies. In fact, the International Dyslexia Association recognizes only nine universities that meet their standards for teaching reading. This is why it's so important to make sure your child's tutor has received specialized, intensive and supervised training beyond his or her degree program. 

If you are looking for a tutor, begin by reading the article by Ms. Hall. Then, seek a tutor with the qualifications she outlines. The best thing you can do for your child is to become informed and find someone with the expertise to help guide you both along the path to reading success.