Dyslexia tutor, online across the UK
They're not behind because
they're not trying.
Reading and writing have become a battle. Everything they're capable of is stuck behind it.
I'm Sophie — a qualified teacher, former SENCO and former Head of Drama. I teach every lesson myself, one to one, online.
- Qualified teacher (QTS)
- Former SENCO
- Taught GCSE English
- Enhanced DBS
Nobody doubts your child is clever.The page just never shows it.
Six things parents of dyslexic children tell me again and again — and what I actually do about each one.
What you're seeing
They will do almost anything to avoid picking up a book.
What I do
Avoidance is nearly always a sensible response to something that has been consistently hard and public. We read together, at a level that’s genuinely achievable, on subjects they actually chose, with audio alongside the text where it helps. Nobody is ever asked to read cold in front of anyone. Reading gets rebuilt as something they can do, not something they get caught failing at.
What you're seeing
They learn the spellings on Thursday, pass the test on Friday, and have lost them by Monday.
What I do
Word lists rely on visual memory, which is usually the exact thing that isn’t working. So we don’t use them. We teach the patterns underneath the words instead — sounds, syllables, prefixes, roots — so a spelling can be worked out rather than recalled. Learning why a word is spelled that way is what makes it stick.
What you're seeing
They can tell you everything about the topic. Then they write three lines.
What I do
Having ideas and getting them onto paper are two separate jobs, and dyslexia interferes with the second one, not the first. So we split them. We talk it through, plan it out loud, and use scaffolds, voice notes or scribing to capture the thinking before the writing begins. The quality of their ideas stops being hidden by the difficulty of writing them down.
What you're seeing
A twenty-minute piece of homework takes an hour and a half, and ends in tears.
What I do
Most of that time is spent re-reading, decoding the question, and starting again. We work on the underlying skills that cause the drag, and we do the heavy lifting in the lesson rather than leaving it for your evening. Homework stops being the thing that swallows the whole night.
What you're seeing
Nobody at school has mentioned extra time, a laptop or a reader.
What I do
Exam access arrangements exist precisely for children like yours, but they need evidence and somebody to push for them. As a former SENCO I know what’s available, what schools need in order to apply, and what a strong case looks like on paper. I write the teaching evidence, so the conversation with school starts from facts rather than hope.
What you're seeing
Somewhere along the way they decided they’re stupid.
What I do
Dyslexia is a difference in how written language is processed. It says nothing whatsoever about how clever a child is — but after years of being slowest with the one thing school measures constantly, most of them conclude otherwise. As a drama teacher I can put them somewhere they’re immediately good: speaking, performing, arguing a point out loud. Belief comes back fastest through the things print was hiding.
Results
Every figure below comes from my own students’ results, and I keep the records behind them.
Improved by at least one grade
Every student I’ve taught to exam
Achieved grade 4–8 in GCSE English Language
Grade 4 is a standard pass
Distinction rate across LAMDA candidates
Marked by an external examiner
Students taught
Across LAMDA, GCSE and SEN tuition
GCSE English Language grades achieved
All students I have taught to GCSE English Language exam.
- Grade 81
- Grade 72
- Grade 63
- Grade 51
- Grade 41
Grade 4 counts as a standard pass and is what most sixth forms and colleges ask for. Every student reached at least that.
What parents tell me,
and what I do about it.
By the time families reach me, I tend to hear the same handful of worries.
“She’s clever, but it never shows up on paper.”
What I do
Having ideas and getting them onto paper are two different jobs, and only the second one is broken. So we separate them: talk it through, plan it out loud, capture the thinking with scaffolds or voice notes, and only then write. What she knows stops being hidden by the effort of writing it down.
“He’s started calling himself stupid.”
What I do
This is the first thing I go after, because a child who believes it will hide, guess or go quiet in every subject. As a drama teacher I can put him somewhere he’s immediately good — speaking, performing, arguing a point out loud — and build from small wins he can’t argue with. Belief comes back fastest through the things print was hiding.
“Reading aloud in class is his idea of a nightmare.”
What I do
Nobody reads cold with me. We rehearse first, at a level that’s genuinely achievable, with audio alongside the text where it helps. Then we practise the real situation — being asked, being watched, getting a word wrong and carrying on. Rehearsed ten times in private, it stops being a nightmare in public.
“Homework ends in tears, for both of us.”
What I do
Most of that hour goes on re-reading, decoding the question and starting again — and children will accept from a teacher what they refuse from a parent. The heavy lifting moves into the lesson, and we work on the skills causing the drag. You stop being the homework police and go back to being their parent.
“The spelling just won’t stick, however hard we try.”
What I do
Because word lists rely on visual memory, which is usually the exact thing that isn’t working. So we don’t use them. We teach the patterns underneath instead — sounds, syllables, prefixes, roots — so a word can be worked out rather than remembered. Learning why a word is spelled that way is what makes it stick.
If any of those sound like your house, you’re in exactly the right place. Confidence isn’t a happy side effect of this work — it’s the method. You can see how the trial lesson and the twelve weeks that follow work whenever you’re ready.
What lessons look like
Ideas before spelling
We build and rehearse ideas out loud first, using drama, storytelling and talk, so the blank page stops being frightening. Writing becomes the last, easiest step, not the wall your child hits.
Skills that stick
Reading and spelling taught through movement, sound and sight together, in small, achievable steps. Multisensory learning is how a dyslexic brain holds on to what a worksheet alone slides straight off.
Confidence, every lesson
Every session is planned so your child succeeds early and often. Slowly, the story they tell about themselves changes from "I can't" to "I did." That belief is what makes the skills last.
Common questions
Yes, and you don't need to wait. I teach the child in front of me, not a label. If a diagnostic report arrives later, I'll fold its recommendations straight into our plan. My guide on what you can do while waiting for a dyslexia assessment explains this in more detail. If your child already has a plan, lessons can sometimes be paid for through EHCP and EOTAS funded provision.
Usually the willingness comes before the spelling does: less resistance to reading, fewer tears over homework, a child who'll pick up a book again. The measurable skills build steadily from there, and I'll always be honest with you about what I'm seeing.
Those are the focus, but because I've taught GCSE English I can support the whole subject right up to exam level. And my drama background means speaking, listening and confidence come built in, not as an added extra. If it helps, you can read about my teaching qualifications and SEN training.
Real children, real results
From a C to an A* in A Level Drama
Lucy could talk about a production brilliantly. Getting it onto the page was another matter, and in A Level Drama the written paper is most of the grade. So we did the talking first and wrote afterwards, once she had a structure she could trust. She got an A*.
Parent of Lucy: A Level student
From a Grade 4 to a Grade 6 in GCSE English
“Alex went from a Grade 4 to a Grade 6 in GCSE English. Sophie’s patience and encouragement made such a difference to his confidence, and it was wonderful to see him believe in himself again.”
Parent of Alex, GCSE English student
A real change in confidence
“Sophie has been incredibly supportive and patient with Oliver. She took the time to understand how he learns best and adapted her approach to suit him. We’ve seen such a positive change in his confidence and attitude towards learning. We’re so grateful for her support.”
Parent of Oliver, a primary school student
Ready to talk about your child?
I teach every lesson myself, so I take a limited number of students at a time. If you’d like a place this term, it’s worth getting in touch now.