How do I know if my child needs reading intervention?
Many students struggle with reading from time to time, but persistent difficulties may indicate a need for targeted reading intervention. Signs include difficulty sounding out words, guessing words instead of decoding them, slow or laborious reading, poor spelling, avoidance of reading activities, frustration during homework, or difficulty understanding what they have read.
Some students work very hard but continue to fall behind their peers despite receiving classroom instruction. Early intervention can help address skill gaps before they become larger obstacles. You can learn more about common reading struggles and correct intervention on our blog.
If you are concerned about your child’s reading development, a comprehensive assessment can help identify strengths, weaknesses, and appropriate next steps for instruction. At Colorado Reading Center, we develop individualized plans for each student based on their needs from a comprehensive assessment. Our instruction is scientific, purposeful, and targeted.
Can students catch up if they are behind in reading?
Yes. With appropriate instruction and consistent practice, many students can make significant gains in reading. The amount of growth depends on factors such as the student’s age, the severity of the reading difficulty, attendance frequency, and the quality of instruction provided.
While earlier intervention is generally beneficial, older students can also improve their reading skills. The key is identifying the underlying areas of difficulty and providing systematic instruction that targets those needs.
At Colorado Reading Center, we develop individualized plans based on assessment data and monitor progress regularly to ensure students continue moving toward their goals. While every student’s progress is specific to them, we strive to keep you updated with weekly session notes and ten-hour progress updates.
My child hates reading. Can tutoring still help?
Absolutely. Many students who dislike reading are not unmotivated; they are frustrated. When reading feels difficult, exhausting, or embarrassing, students often begin to avoid it whenever possible.
Effective intervention focuses on building the underlying skills that make reading easier and more successful. As students experience success, confidence often increases as well. One-on-one instruction provides a supportive environment where students can work at their own pace without the pressure they may feel in a larger classroom setting.
While every student is different, improving reading skills frequently helps improve attitudes toward reading over time. At the Colorado Reading Center, we work to incorporate games, fun, and prizes to make the experience pleasureful and create the joy of reading in each student.
What are your hours?
- Monday through Friday 8AM to 6PM
- Saturday 9-5
- Office closed 12-1 for lunch
Are you closed on holidays?
The offices are closed for the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- The offices are closed an additional five days for Christmas vacation each year, and two additional days at Thanksgiving.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations made 24 hours or less will be billed in full. Absences are billed in full. Canceling with more than 24 hours notice or for inclement weather is not charged.
What kind of testing do you do?
We administer an initial assessment to identify needs and provide you with a written report. We administer this same assessment to measure progress at the end of instruction and provide a second report. Our assessment battery consist of standard, nationally normed and validated assessments to measure reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension. During the instructional process, we monitor progress on an hourly basis and email daily session notes directly from the tutors. All students are also reviewed weekly by the Director with staff. We use the Dibels as a monitoring tool every 10 hours.
We provide written progress updates to parents approximately every 10 sessions to help put the daily session notes in perspective. Anytime that you would like an update on your child’s progress, just schedule an appointment to talk to us. Your child’s success is our goal.
Will my child be assigned a tutor?
Our staff works as a team, which means that every student will have several dedicated professionals involved with their instruction.
How long are the sessions?
Each session is 50 minutes long. Sessions in our office always start on the hour.
How long does reading intervention take?
The length of reading intervention varies significantly from student to student. Factors such as age, severity of difficulty, attendance frequency, consistency of practice, and individual learning needs all influence the rate of progress. Some students demonstrate noticeable improvement within a few months, while others benefit from longer-term support. Because reading development is a complex process, it is important to avoid promises of specific timelines. Instead, we focus on measurable growth through ongoing assessment, progress monitoring, and individualized instruction.
Our goal is to help students make meaningful and lasting gains while ensuring families receive regular updates regarding progress and recommendations.
How often should my child attend tutoring?
The ideal frequency depends on your child’s needs, goals, and schedule. Many students benefit from attending tutoring two to three times per week because consistent instruction helps reinforce new skills and supports stronger long-term growth.
Students with more significant reading difficulties may benefit from more intensive schedules. During the assessment process, we consider each student’s strengths, challenges, educational demands, and family schedule when making recommendations.
Our goal is to create a plan that balances effectiveness with practicality while providing the level of support needed to achieve meaningful progress.
Is my child too old to improve reading skills?
No. Students can improve their reading skills at virtually any age. While earlier intervention is often recommended, older students, teenagers, and even adults can continue to develop stronger reading abilities through targeted instruction.
Reading difficulties do not simply disappear with age, but neither does the brain’s ability to learn. Many older students benefit from structured literacy instruction that addresses foundational skills while also supporting higher-level reading and comprehension demands.
Progress may take time, especially when skill gaps have existed for several years, but meaningful growth is possible with consistent, individualized instruction.
How do I stay informed on my child’s progress?
Daily session notes are emailed to the parent to provide a brief account of what was worked on in the session and how things went. Every 10 hours a written progress update is provided to the parents that discusses the student’s progress in detail and provides perspective of how that progress compares to expectations.
What training do your tutors have?
Clinicians provide academic therapy to clients and are responsible for adhering to highly structured procedures for implementing reading instruction on a one-on-one basis. Every clinician is trained in-house on our approved instructional methods. They also receive ongoing mentoring and feedback. Our clinicians have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree as well as experience in literacy and education. Clinicians closely follow the written instructional plans while also taking detailed notes on the client’s responses and progress.
Can students attend during school hours?
Yes. Colorado Reading Center offers flexible scheduling options, including appointments during traditional school hours when availability permits. This can be especially helpful for homeschool students, students with flexible academic schedules, or families seeking to reduce after-school demands. We also offer online instruction for families with demanding travel schedules or who are outside the Denver area.
Daytime instruction often allows students to work when they are well-rested and able to focus, while preserving afternoons and evenings for school activities, sports, family commitments, and homework.
Our scheduling options vary throughout the year, so families are encouraged to contact us regarding current availability and recommendations that best fit their child’s needs.
How far will you travel to a school?
We will travel 15 miles from our office location in Englewood, Co. If you are in range and want to see if we can go to your school get in touch!
Do you work with homeschool students?
Yes. We regularly work with homeschool students and families seeking individualized literacy instruction. Because many homeschool schedules offer greater flexibility during the day, students often benefit from accessing intervention and enrichment during traditional school hours.
Our one-on-one approach allows instruction to be tailored to each student’s specific strengths and needs. Services may focus on foundational reading skills, spelling, comprehension, writing, dyslexia intervention, or academic enrichment.
We can also complement a homeschool curriculum by providing specialized reading instruction and ongoing progress monitoring. Many homeschool families appreciate the opportunity to add structured literacy support as part of their educational plan.
Do you share information about my child?
We never share any information about our clients without prior written permission. If you would like us to exchange information with your child’s school or teacher, please sign a release. All physical documents are retained for seven years then destroyed.
Is your program similar to Orton Gillingham?
Yes, our reading program is similar to Orton-Gillingham, the Barton System, or the Wilson Reading System. Our program is a multi-sensory, structured phonics program where sounds, their corresponding letter symbols, and the spelling conventions of English (orthography) are taught in a structured, explicit way.
Is your program similar to Lindamood Bell?
Yes, our program incorporates parts of the Seeing Stars for Symbol Imagery program to aid students in their visual memory development.
What research are your programs based on?
Check our our Resources pages to find all of the research.
What is structured literacy?
Structured literacy is a research-based approach to reading instruction that is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic. Rather than expecting students to discover reading patterns on their own, structured literacy teaches skills directly and sequentially.
Instruction typically includes phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Lessons are designed to build upon previously learned skills while providing opportunities for review and practice. Structured literacy is widely recognized as an effective approach for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, but many students benefit from its organized and evidence-based methods.
Our instructional approach aligns directly with structured literacy and the science of reading.
What is the difference between tutoring and structured literacy intervention?
While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there can be important differences. Traditional tutoring often focuses on helping students complete homework, prepare for tests, or improve classroom performance. Structured literacy intervention or academic therapy focuses more specifically on identifying and addressing the underlying reading skills that may be causing difficulty. This may include phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, fluency, and language comprehension.
Intervention is typically guided by assessment data and follows a systematic instructional sequence designed to remediate skill deficits. At Colorado Reading Center, our goal is not simply to help students get through today’s assignment, but to strengthen the foundational skills needed for long-term reading success.
Are you hiring?
We are always pleased to find individuals who have an interest in what we do and would like to work with us to improve the lives of our students. We typically look to have our seasonal, summer staff in place by late May. Interviews start in early May. Occasionally, we have full and part-time permanent positions open.
If you are interested in a position please email a resume to Robert Windle for consideration. Please do not call as we are usually busy helping students during business hours.
