Award-Winning Certified Reading Intervention Tutors
serving Virginia Beach, VA
Certified Reading Intervention
Tutors in Virginia Beach
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

Two years of teaching elementary students who struggled with literacy gave McKenna firsthand experience identifying where decoding, fluency, or comprehension breaks down. She builds targeted exercises around phonemic awareness and sight-word recognition for younger readers, while older students get scaffolded strategies for tackling longer texts. Her certified reading intervention approach is patient and structured, meeting each learner's specific gaps.

Hello! I'm a reading intervention specialist with over 15 years of experience helping struggling readers build stronger skills and confidence. I use an Orton-Gillinghaminspired, structured literacy that is explicit, systematic, multisensory, and tailored to each learner. Sessions may include phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, fluency, comprehension, and writing based on individual needs. My goal is to strengthen the foundational literacy skills that make reading easier.
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Cardiff University, and have a Masters in Counseling from Monash University. Trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy, I am passionate and experienced in using a multi-sensory approach to tutoring students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Having worked in an educational setting for over 11 years in Hong Kong, I am experienced in working with students from kindergarten all the way through to primary school.
I received my degree in Elementary Education from York College of Pennsylvania. I then attended McDaniel College where I received a masters degree in reading and became a Reading Specialist. My love for teaching reading continued and I furthered my education at Mount Saint Mary's University for training in Reading Recovery. I started my career teaching kindergarten and currently am a reading specialist in my school district, where I work one on one and in small groups with struggling readers. My passion is for tutoring early learners to help them gain the skills they need to grow as readers and writers. In my tutoring sessions I love to get to know my learners interests and personalities. I incorporate manipulatives, sight word games, leveled texts, and writing into sessions to make sessions more engaging. I love to build confidence in my learners by focusing on their strengths in order to get the most amount of growth out of my learners. My hobbies include exercise, spending time with my family, and going to the beach.
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Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions
Certified Reading Intervention is a specialized approach grounded in evidence-based reading science that targets the specific reasons a student struggles with reading—whether that's phonics, fluency, comprehension, or vocabulary. Unlike general reading support, intervention tutoring uses diagnostic assessment to pinpoint gaps and applies structured, systematic instruction to address them. For students in Virginia Beach, this targeted approach can accelerate progress significantly, especially for students who haven't responded to standard classroom instruction.
Certified Reading Intervention addresses a wide range of reading difficulties, including decoding and phonics struggles, slow reading fluency, comprehension challenges, vocabulary gaps, and difficulty with higher-level skills like literary analysis. It's particularly effective for students with dyslexia or other reading-based learning differences. Tutors use evidence-based techniques to build foundational skills while also helping students develop confidence and a positive relationship with reading.
The first session focuses on understanding your student's specific reading strengths and challenges through informal assessment and conversation. The tutor will ask about reading history, current struggles, and what you hope to achieve, then may conduct quick diagnostic activities to pinpoint skill gaps. This foundation allows the tutor to design a personalized instruction plan tailored to your student's needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Look for tutors with certification in reading intervention (such as IDA—International Dyslexia Association—or similar credentials), strong background in reading science and linguistics, and experience working with students who have reading difficulties. Ideally, they should be familiar with structured literacy approaches and evidence-based interventions like Orton-Gillingham or similar methods. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have the expertise and credentials to deliver effective, research-backed instruction for students in Virginia Beach.
Many students begin showing measurable progress in fluency and confidence within 4-6 weeks of consistent, personalized instruction, though the timeline varies based on the severity of the reading gap and frequency of sessions. Foundational skills like phonics may improve faster, while comprehension and analytical reading skills develop over longer periods. Regular communication with your tutor helps track progress and adjust the instruction plan as your student advances.
Yes—once foundational decoding and fluency skills are stronger, tutors shift focus to comprehension strategies, inference, and literary analysis skills. They teach students how to actively engage with text, ask questions while reading, identify main ideas, and analyze author's purpose and tone. This progression ensures students build both the ability to read fluently and the critical thinking skills needed to understand and analyze what they read.
Most students benefit from 2-3 sessions per week for consistent progress, though the ideal frequency depends on the severity of the reading gap and your student's learning pace. More frequent sessions in the early stages can accelerate skill-building, especially for students with significant reading difficulties. Your tutor will recommend a frequency that balances intensive support with sustainable commitment, and you can adjust as progress is made.
Varsity Tutors makes it easy to connect with certified reading intervention tutors who serve students in Virginia Beach. Simply share your student's specific reading challenges and goals, and you'll be matched with a tutor whose expertise and teaching style fit your needs. The process takes the guesswork out of finding qualified support, so you can focus on your student's progress.
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