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Literacy Therapy for Kids & Teens
We provide literacy therapy for children and teens ages 6-16 who are struggling with reading, writing, spelling, or comprehension, including children with dyslexia. Our goal is to build the foundational skills your child needs to read words and passages with greater ease, understand what they’re reading, and become a more confident reader.
Literacy Therapy is offered in person in Hilliard, Dublin, & Upper Arlington, Ohio, & online throughout Ohio.
Literacy & Dyslexia Evaluations
A thorough evaluation helps us understand exactly where your child is struggling and where to begin.
Our dyslexia evaluations look at your child’s language, ability to hear and work with sounds in words, spelling, reading, writing, and understanding of letter-sound relationships.
We also gather information about your child’s history and school performance and review existing IEP and ETR results when available.
Evaluations typically take about four hours and include a snack and movement break. If needed, testing can be divided into two sessions.
After the evaluation, you’ll receive a detailed written report that includes standardized testing results.
These results help us identify appropriate starting points for treatment. You can also share the report with your child’s school when seeking additional literacy support.
Our Approach to Literacy Therapy
Our literacy therapy is highly structured and based on the science of reading. We use the Orton-Gillingham approach, a structured, phonics-based approach designed to build strong foundational reading skills. Each session includes focused, step-by-step instruction and practice; sessions are 60 minutes.
Orton-Gillingham is multisensory, incorporating movement, sound, and touch into learning. Concepts and rules are taught explicitly and follow a logical sequence, with new skills building on what your child has already learned.
Depending on your child’s needs and interests, literacy-based games may be incorporated from time to time. Parents are also kept informed about concepts being taught and may receive words and passages to practice at home.
Most importantly, therapy is individualized. Each session is planned around your child’s specific needs and progress rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
What We Work on in Literacy Therapy
Depending on your child’s needs, therapy may focus on:
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Letters and sounds: Learning letters and the sounds they make
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Sounds within words: Hearing, identifying, combining, and changing sounds in words
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Sounding out words: Blending sounds together to read words more quickly and accurately
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Spelling: Breaking words into sounds and learning patterns and rules that make spelling easier
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Reading longer words: Learning how to break words into smaller parts and syllables
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Reading fluency: Reading words, sentences, and passages more smoothly and with less effort
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Reading comprehension: Understanding and remembering what they read
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Writing: Building handwriting skills in print and cursive and learning to write sentences accurately
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Vocabulary and language: Building word knowledge and language skills that support reading comprehension and written expression
As these skills improve, children may experience less labored reading, stronger spelling and writing skills, better comprehension, decreased frustration, and increased confidence in their ability to read.
Common Questions About Literacy Therapy
Why work with a speech therapist instead of a reading tutor?
Speech therapists with appropriate literacy training understand how the sounds in spoken language connect to learning to read and spell. They also have specialized training in areas closely connected to literacy, including vocabulary, grammar, storytelling, and reading comprehension.
Can a speech-language pathologist diagnose dyslexia?
Yes. With appropriate training, speech therapists can evaluate and identify dyslexia. For children with more complex needs that may involve cognitive challenges, an evaluation by a developmental psychologist may also be needed.
What age can a child start literacy-focused therapy?
The earlier difficulties are identified, the earlier support can begin. Literacy treatment can start as early as preschool when a child is experiencing difficulty with foundational skills. Formal assessments are typically most effective after a child has completed kindergarten.
Can literacy therapy help with spelling, not just reading?
Yes. Reading and spelling difficulties can stem from some of the same underlying challenges. By directly teaching children how sounds, letters, patterns, and spelling rules work together, therapy can help build stronger spelling skills.
How is private literacy therapy different from what my child receives at school?
Our literacy therapy uses the Orton-Gillingham approach. Certified Orton-Gillingham clinicians complete extensive specialized training, including classroom instruction, required reading, supervised work with students, lesson planning, and student profiles.
Therapy provides structured, individualized instruction based on your child’s specific literacy needs and progress.
Help Your Child Build Stronger Reading Skills
If reading, spelling, or writing continues to feel difficult for your child, an evaluation can help identify where they’re struggling and what kind of support they need.
We provide literacy therapy and dyslexia evaluations for children and teens in Hilliard, Dublin, and Upper Arlington, Ohio, with online literacy therapy available throughout Ohio.