Reading Support
Our Credentials
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Certified in the ASU Science of Reading, a research-based approach focused on how the brain develops reading skills.
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Certified in the Orton-Gillingham multisensory method, proven effective for students with dyslexia.
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Skilled in using Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum, an award-winning program that builds foundational reading skills.
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Over 10 years of hands-on experience supporting struggling readers across multiple grades.
Our Commitment
At Gifted Learning Center, we believe every child can learn to read with the right tools, time, and teaching.
Reading is not a natural process—it must be taught explicitly and systematically. With structured support, even struggling readers can gain the skills they need to thrive.
Why Does My Child Struggle to Read?
While reading is essential for success, it is not an ability children are born with. Unlike speech or basic number sense, reading requires the brain to be “rewired.”
If your child struggles to read, the causes may vary—but most challenges can be addressed through explicit, systematic instruction and sufficient time to build connections. Parents should know: when the right instruction is in place, progress will come, even if it takes time.
What Does Systematic and Explicit Instruction Mean?
Reading is a complex process that involves multiple parts of the brain. Skills build on each other, which means we must be mindful of the order in which we teach them.
Phonemic Awareness
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Before students ever see a letter, they need to be able to hear the different sounds that make up a word.
They need to develop the ability to manipulate words by breaking them into sounds, blending sounds together, or creating rhyming words.
When a young reader struggles to read a word, parents will often say, “Sound it out,” but without strong phonemic awareness skills, that is impossible.
How do we develop phonemic awareness?
Students develop phonemic awareness through focused, guided practice. Short, regular drills are all your student needs to develop these skills.
- Breaking a word into its sound parts
- Blending the sound parts to make a word
- Replacing sound parts to make new words
We utilize award-winning phonemic awareness curricula, such as Heggerty, but parents can incorporate these practices into their daily conversations by thinking of rhyming words or engaging in silly word games.
Phonics
What is Phonics?
Phonics is the connection between word sounds and written letters.
It begins as a single sound associated with a specific letter of the alphabet but quickly becomes more complex as we introduce letters that make multiple sounds and letters that combine to form a single sound (think “sh” or “ph”).
Centuries of history and multiple other languages influence our English language, so every phonics rule has exceptions. Students learn phonics by a combination of memorization and decoding skills. They need both.
How do we develop phonics in a child?
Because phonics involves complex rules and exceptions, teachers must explicitly teach the rules and highlight where exceptions apply.
Students should not attempt to guess concepts before instruction; instead, teachers should systematically present words and phonics rules.
We use the brain-friendly, multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach. This is a structured, multisensory method of teaching reading that is particularly effective for children with dyslexia, as it helps them connect sounds, letters, and meaning in clear and systematic ways.
Parents can help by reading regularly to their children and having literature in their homes.
Why It Matters
Reading is the gateway to all other learning.
By teaching reading explicitly, systematically, and with compassion, we:
- Give struggling readers the tools they need to catch up
- Build lifelong skills for comprehension and learning
- Equip students to become confident, independent learners
When a child learns to read, the doors to every other subject—and to their own potential—swing wide open.
Ready to Help Your Child Thrive?
At Gifted Learning Center, helping children become confident readers isn’t just our expertise—it’s our passion. With the right support, every child can discover the joy of reading.