Your Child Is Bright. So Why Are Reading & Writing So Hard?
1:1 online Reading & Writing tutoring for students in grades 3–8 who understand more than they can show on the page.
Your child can read the words, but struggles to explain what they mean.
They have great ideas, but freeze when it’s time to write them down.
And homework that should take 30 minutes somehow takes two hours.
I identify what’s getting in the way and teach the skills your child needs explicitly, so they can become a more capable, confident, independent reader and writer.
“I Read It. I Just Don’t Get It.”
For many students, the struggle becomes more noticeable around grades 3 and 4.
Reading changes.
Instead of simply learning how to read, students are increasingly expected to read to learn.
Texts get longer. Vocabulary gets harder. Directions become more complex.
And suddenly, reading the words correctly isn’t enough.
Your child has to figure out what matters, connect ideas across paragraphs, make inferences, find evidence, explain their reasoning, and put that thinking into writing.
That’s when you may start hearing:
“I don’t know what to write.”
“I already read it!”
“What does the question even mean?”
“I knew the answer. I just couldn’t explain it.”
You Know They’re Capable. Their Schoolwork Isn’t Showing It.
Maybe their teacher tells you they have great ideas during class discussions...
...but their written responses are only one or two sentences.
Maybe they can read an entire page aloud...
...but can’t explain what they just read.
Maybe they understand the material...
...but lose points because they missed part of a multi-step prompt.
Or maybe writing begins with staring at a blank page while you try every version of:
“Okay...what are you trying to say?”
Eventually, you’re helping organize every paragraph or practically writing the assignment yourself.
They’re frustrated.
You’re frustrated.
And everyone is beginning to dread homework.
Worst of all, your child may start turning a skills problem into a belief about themselves:
“Maybe I’m just bad at reading.”
“I can’t write.”
But struggling with an assignment doesn’t tell you why your child is struggling.
And until the reason is clear, it’s difficult to know what kind of help they actually need.What if they keep falling behind? What if they start believing they’re just not good at reading and writing?
That’s Where I Can Help
I’m Ms Libby, a Reading & Writing tutor for students in grades 3–8. I don’t assume your child needs more practice simply because reading or writing is difficult. I find out why they’re struggling, teach the skills they need explicitly, and help them learn to use those skills more independently.
Find the Real Sticking Points
I begin with a comprehensive assessment to identify your child’s strengths and pinpoint the skills that need additional instruction.
That distinction matters. A child struggling with comprehension may need help with vocabulary, making connections between ideas, or even reading the words accurately. A child struggling to write may need support with sentence construction, organizing ideas, developing paragraphs, or translating what they know into a written response. Instead of guessing, I determine where instruction should begin.
Teach the Skills They Need
I use what I learn to develop a personalized learning plan for your child.
Depending on their needs, I may work with them on word reading and decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, spelling, sentence construction, paragraph development, organizing ideas, written responses to reading, grammar, revising, and editing.
My reading instruction is informed by principles of structured literacy and the science of reading.
I break complex skills into manageable parts, explain them directly, model how to apply them, and provide guided practice.
So instead of simply telling your child:
“Add more detail.”
I teach them what meaningful detail looks like, where it belongs, and how to add it.
Your child gets tools, not just corrections.
Build Toward Independence
My goal isn’t for your child to do better only when I’m sitting beside them.
It’s for them to develop skills and strategies they can increasingly use on their own.
As your child becomes more secure with a skill, I gradually reduce support and give them opportunities to apply what they’ve learned independently.
I also monitor their progress and adjust instruction as their skills develop.
Because the real win isn’t:
“My tutor helped me do it.”
It’s:
“I know what to do.”
Imagine your child opening a reading assignment and knowing how to approach it.
Reading a multi-step prompt and knowing how to break it apart.
Looking at a blank page and having a process for turning their thoughts into sentences and paragraphs.
And eventually needing less help from you to get there.
Getting your child the right support shouldn’t feel complicated.
Start With an Initial Assessment
I begin by assessing your child’s current reading and writing skills.
This helps me identify their strengths, areas that need additional instruction, and where tutoring should begin.
Get a Personalized Learning Plan
I use the assessment results to develop a learning plan based on your child’s specific needs.
Two students in the same grade don’t necessarily need the same instruction, and I don’t teach them as though they do.
Begin 1:1 Online Tutoring
Your child works directly with me in live, interactive online sessions.
Depending on their learning plan, a session may include explicit instruction, guided practice, word and spelling work, oral reading, vocabulary and comprehension activities, sentence and paragraph writing, revision and editing, or review of previously taught skills.
Because I’m working with your child in real time, I can adjust instruction based on how they respond.
If they need another explanation, I explain it another way.
If they need more practice, I provide it.
If they’re ready for a greater challenge, I adjust the lesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can reading and writing tutoring help my child?
I use 1:1 tutoring to give your child targeted instruction in the reading and writing skills they need to strengthen. Rather than giving every student the same lessons, I personalize instruction based on your child's current skills, learning needs, and progress.
Depending on your child's needs, we may work on:
Word reading and decoding
Reading fluency
Vocabulary and comprehension
Spelling
Sentence construction
Paragraph development
Organizing ideas
Grammar and written conventions
Revising and editing
Written responses to reading
My goal is to meet your child where they are and provide the instruction, practice, and scaffolding they need to become more independent.
Progress varies from student to student. A child's starting skills, attendance, participation, practice, and individual learning needs can all affect progress.
What happens during an online tutoring session?
During each online session, I work with your child 1:1 using instruction based on their personalized learning plan. We focus on the reading and writing skills your child needs rather than following the same lesson sequence for every student.
A session may include:
Explicit instruction in a new skill
Guided practice
Word and spelling work
Oral reading
Vocabulary or comprehension activities
Sentence and paragraph writing
Revision and editing
Review of previously taught skills
Because I am working directly with your child, I can adjust the lesson when they need another explanation, additional practice, or a greater challenge.
I offer both 30-minute and 60-minute sessions, depending on the tutoring plan.
Does online reading and writing tutoring work?
Online tutoring can be effective when instruction is live, targeted to the student's needs, and provided consistently. My online sessions are interactive and 1:1. Your child is working with me in real time, not simply watching a video or completing activities independently.
The online format still allows me to listen to your child read, see their writing, ask questions, model skills, provide immediate feedback, and adjust instruction based on how they respond. It can also make consistent tutoring easier for busy families because there is no travel time. Every student is different, so I do not promise a particular result or timeline. Progress depends on factors such as your child's starting point, learning needs, consistency, participation, and practice.
How do you know what my child needs help with?
I begin with a comprehensive initial assessment to identify your child's strengths and areas that need additional instruction. I use that information to develop a personalized learning plan and determine where instruction should begin. Two students in the same grade can struggle for very different reasons. For example, two students may both appear to have difficulty with reading comprehension, but one may struggle to read the words accurately while another may read accurately and have difficulty understanding the meaning.
That is why I do not want to make assumptions based only on a student's grade level or the fact that reading or writing feels difficult.
I also use ongoing progress assessments to see how your child is responding to instruction. This allows me to adjust what we are working on as their skills develop.
What is structured literacy and the science of reading?
Structured literacy is an explicit, systematic approach to teaching reading and written language skills, while the science of reading is a large body of research about how people learn to read. I use principles from structured literacy and the science of reading to inform my reading instruction. In practice, this means I do not expect a student to figure out important reading patterns or concepts on their own.
Depending on your child's needs, I may:
Break a complex skill into smaller steps
Explain a new concept directly
Model how to apply a skill
Guide your child through practice
Review previously taught skills
Provide additional practice when needed
Gradually reduce support as your child becomes more independent
The exact instruction I provide depends on your child's assessment results, current skills, and progress.
How do you help students become stronger writers?
I teach writing as a set of skills and processes that students can learn, practice, and eventually use more independently. Instead of simply correcting your child's writing, I help them understand how to plan, develop, revise, and communicate their ideas.
Depending on your child's needs, we may work on:
Creating clear sentences
Expanding sentences with meaningful details
Organizing paragraphs
Planning before writing
Developing and supporting ideas
Responding to reading in writing
Grammar and written conventions
Revising and editing
When I give feedback, my goal is not to turn your child's work into something I would have written. I want your child to understand what they can do differently and learn strategies they can apply the next time they write.
How much does online reading and writing tutoring cost?
My online reading and writing tutoring plans range from $250 to $850 per month, depending on the amount of 1:1 instructional support your child needs. I offer three levels of support so families can choose an option that fits their child's needs and time commitment.
Focused Support: $250/month
I designed Focused Support for students who need targeted, consistent support to strengthen a specific skill or maintain progress.
It includes:
Four 30-minute 1:1 tutoring sessions each month
2 hours of live 1:1 tutoring per month
Comprehensive initial assessment
Personalized instruction with intentional scaffolding
Ongoing progress assessments
Parent-friendly progress reports
Tutoring progress data that parents may use in IEP discussions, when applicable
Access to a supplemental learning platform
Email support between sessions
Comprehensive Support: $425/month
I designed Comprehensive Support for students who need more time to build understanding, practice skills, and become increasingly independent.
It includes:
Four 60-minute 1:1 tutoring sessions each month
4 hours of live 1:1 tutoring per month
Comprehensive initial assessment
Personalized instruction with intentional scaffolding
Ongoing progress assessments
Parent-friendly progress reports
Tutoring progress data that parents may use in IEP discussions, when applicable
Access to a supplemental learning platform
Email support between sessions
Intensive Support: $850/month
I designed Intensive Support for students who benefit from substantial, consistent academic intervention and additional time to learn, practice, and apply skills.
It includes:
Eight 60-minute 1:1 tutoring sessions each month
8 hours of live 1:1 tutoring per month
Comprehensive initial assessment
Personalized instruction with intentional scaffolding
Ongoing progress assessments
Parent-friendly progress reports
Tutoring progress data that parents may use in IEP discussions, when applicable
Access to a supplemental learning platform
Email support between sessions
Which tutoring plan is right for my child?
The right plan depends on your child's starting point, learning needs, and the amount of instructional time they need. I use the initial assessment to better understand your child's skills and determine what type of support may be appropriate.
In general:
Focused Support provides four 30-minute sessions per month for targeted, consistent support.
Comprehensive Support provides four 60-minute sessions per month for students who need more time for instruction and guided practice.
Intensive Support provides eight 60-minute sessions per month for students who benefit from substantial, consistent intervention.
I do not assume that more tutoring automatically means faster progress. I look at your child's individual needs when determining the focus of instruction.
Progress can also depend on attendance, participation, practice, and your child's starting skills.
Can you provide progress data for my child's IEP meeting?
Yes. When applicable, I can provide tutoring progress data that you may use during IEP discussions or share with your child's school team. This information can help you communicate which skills we have addressed during tutoring and how your child is responding to instruction.
I may use ongoing tutoring assessments and observations of your child's skill development to document progress.
I provide this information for educational and informational purposes. My tutoring and progress data do not replace a school evaluation, special education services, or formal IEP decision-making by your child's educational team.
How is 1:1 tutoring different from using a tutoring app?
With 1:1 tutoring, I can respond to what your child reads, writes, understands, and needs in real time. Tutoring apps generally rely on predetermined activities, algorithms, or automated feedback.
While I am working with your child, I can consider questions such as:
Why is my student making this particular reading error?
Does this skill need to be explained differently?
Is my student reading the words accurately but struggling to understand the text?
Why is organizing this paragraph difficult?
Does my student need more practice before we move forward?
Is my student ready for something more challenging?
A tutoring app can be useful for additional practice. I even include access to a supplemental learning platform with my tutoring plans. However, I use that technology to supplement personalized instruction, not replace it.
Updated: August 08, 2026
Worldwide Online Tutoring
Can my child work with you if we don't live near you?
Yes. I provide tutoring online, so I can work with students in different geographic locations. Your child will need reliable internet access and a device that allows them to participate in live tutoring sessions.
For many families, online tutoring also removes travel time and makes it easier to fit consistent support into an already busy week.
