During an initial session, a tutor will assess your child's current reading level, fluency, comprehension skills, and any specific challenges they're facing. This might include reading aloud, discussing what they've read, or exploring their interests in books. The tutor uses this information to create a personalized plan that builds on your child's strengths and addresses their needs.

Fluency and comprehension work together—when students read smoothly, they can focus mental energy on understanding the text. Tutors use guided reading practice, repeated reading strategies, and discussion techniques to build both skills simultaneously. They also help students learn strategies like predicting, questioning, and summarizing to deepen comprehension.

Varsity Tutors connects students with reading tutors across all elementary grade levels, from early readers in kindergarten and first grade through advanced readers in fifth and sixth grade. Each tutor tailors instruction to grade-level expectations and individual student needs, whether that's foundational phonics or more complex comprehension strategies.

Yes. Personalized 1-on-1 instruction is especially valuable for students learning English as an additional language because tutors can slow down, repeat, and explain vocabulary and sentence structures in context. They can also select books and texts that match both language level and reading interests, making practice more engaging and effective.

Reading together daily is one of the most powerful things you can do. Ask your child questions about the story, let them choose books they're interested in, and create a distraction-free reading time. Your tutor can also suggest specific strategies and books matched to your child's level, so you're reinforcing the same skills during tutoring sessions.

Varsity Tutors connects you with expert tutors who have strong backgrounds in reading instruction, literacy development, and elementary education. Many have teaching credentials, degrees in education or English, or years of experience supporting young readers. All tutors are carefully selected to ensure they can provide high-quality, personalized instruction.

Many students show noticeable progress in fluency and confidence within 4-6 weeks of consistent tutoring, though deeper comprehension gains often develop over a longer period. The timeline depends on your child's starting level, frequency of sessions, and how much they practice at home. Your tutor will track progress regularly and adjust the approach as needed.