Unlocking Literacy,   
  Empowering Futures

The Reading Doctor provides specialist, one-to-one reading intervention for children who find reading difficult. Every Reading Doctor is a fully qualified teacher, trained in evidence-informed literacy approaches that help children become confident, capable readers.

Common signs include avoiding reading, guessing words, slow or inaccurate decoding, poor comprehension, or falling behind peers. If reading regularly causes frustration or anxiety, a specialist assessment can identify underlying barriers and provide targeted support.

We support children from early primary age through to secondary school, including older learners who have persistent reading gaps or previously unidentified difficulties - up to a reading age of 12.0 years.

No. Many children work with a Reading Doctor without a formal diagnosis. Our initial assessment focuses on understanding your child’s strengths and areas of difficulty and shaping a personalised support plan, regardless of labels. We do offer a dyslexia screening test on request.

Your child completes a series of engaging, low-pressure activities that explore phonics knowledge, decoding, reading fluency, comprehension and memory skills. We then explain the findings clearly and recommend next steps tailored to your child.

Sessions are one-to-one, structured and highly personalised. Children take part in multisensory activities, direct teaching and targeted practice designed to build both reading skills and confidence. Sessions are calm, supportive and encouraging.

Most sessions last between 45 and 60 minutes, depending on your child’s age, stamina and attention needs. Shorter or longer sessions can be discussed if appropriate.

Weekly sessions are the most common and effective. Some children benefit from two sessions per week, particularly when quicker progress is needed.

Every child’s journey is different. Many families notice early changes within a few weeks, such as improved confidence, reduced frustration and better decoding. More measurable gains typically become clear over the course of a full term. See Trust Index reviews as many of these indicate significant improvements within particular time frames.

We regularly support children with dyslexia and suspected dyslexia, speech and language difficulties, processing or memory challenges, general reading gaps, reading-related anxiety, and SEND-related learning barriers.

Yes. Sessions are designed to be positive, engaging and success-focused. Children experience frequent small successes, which helps transform their mindset and motivation towards reading. Many of our resources have evolved in response to the needs of our pupils.

Yes. Online sessions follow the same structured approach as in-person work and are ideal for families without a local Reading Doctor or those needing greater flexibility. Reading Doctors send resources to their online pupils to maximise engagement.

Absolutely. Every Reading Doctor is a qualified teacher who has completed additional specialist training in reading intervention, cognitive approaches and bespoke literacy strategies.

Progress is monitored throughout the programme, including reading accuracy, fluency, comprehension and confidence. Parents receive regular updates, and more formal progress reviews can be requested at any time.

Yes. We frequently work in partnership with schools. With your permission, we can share assessment information and progress updates to ensure consistent support across home, school and tutoring.

We regularly support children with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, language disorders and wider SEND needs. Sessions are adapted to suit individual attention profiles, sensory needs and learning styles. This is evidenced in our 5* Reviews on Trust Index.

Homework is optional but encouraged. We usually provide short, targeted activities to reinforce learning between sessions. Tasks are manageable and never overwhelming. No piece of homework is worth jeopardizing the relationship between a young person and their parent/carer. Reading Doctor homework is an opportunity for celebrating small steps of progress towards big leaps of progress!

Programme length varies depending on starting points, barriers and needs. Many children attend for one to three terms, while others with more complex difficulties benefit from longer support. Progress is reviewed regularly so you always understand how your child is developing.

Simply contact your nearest Reading Doctor to arrange an initial conversation and book in an assessment. From there, we create a tailored plan that fits your child’s needs and your family’s schedule.

Use your postcode with the “Find a Reading Doctor” tool on our website to locate your nearest tutor. If travel is not convenient, you can choose to work with an online Reading Doctor instead.