Dyslexia Help in Warwickshire

Specialist Tuition    Dyslexia Tuition in Warwickshire
Mrs Holly Swinton is a primary school teacher and dyslexia speciailist.  She is a member of the British Dyslexia Association and has tutored children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia.  Read her testimonials from parents of dyslexic children she has helped to find out how she has helped specific children to make progress with their learning.

Mrs Swinton's teaching methods are based on knowledge gleaned from specialist training, conferences, extensive reading and years of teaching children of all ages and abilities. Her fun, multi-sensory approach to teaching children to read and write fluently builds on children's interests, boosts their confidence and engages them through a range of focussed activities and games.

She has helped children to improve their skills in common weak areas, including:
• Reading and writing
• Spelling
• Handwriting
• Fractions, times tables and 'mental maths'
• Telling the time
• Map work
• Organisation and study skills

Do you think that you or your child might be dyslexic? Read Mrs Swinton's Could it be dyslexia checklist

Local Dyslexia Associations
North Warwickshire Dyslexia Association, 4 Avon Close, Bulkington, Nuneaton, CV12 9SA 024 7631 6813 seekingadvice@virginmedia.com www.justdyslexic.org.uk  Drop-In Sessions at Race Leys Junior School, Barton Road, Bedworth held between 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm on the first Friday of every term time month.

South Warwickshire Dyslexia Association (Stratford Upon Avon) 01789 773758  Saturday Workshop for children aged 6 - 16 held at Stratford College(c block) during term time 10am to 12.15pm (English and Maths) at Stratford Upon Avon College, The Willows North, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV379QR
Dyslexia Action Coventry, 113 New Union Street, Coventry, CV1 2NT, coventry@dyslexiaaction.org.uk, 024 7625 7041 www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk  Tuesday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm

Parent Partnership Services
The Partnership Service provides information and support to parents whose children have special educational needs (SEN).  They provide accurate, impartial information on the full range of options available to parents. 

Coventry Parent Partnership Service (open 9– 5). Limbrick Wood Centre, Thomas Naul Croft, Tile Hill, Coventry, CV4 9QX, parental.partnerships@coventry.gov.uk 024 7669 4307

Warwickshire Parent Partnership Service, ContinYou, Unit C1, Grovelands Estate, Longford Road, Coventry, CV7 9NE  024 76 588 464 pps@continyou.org.uk

Mrs Holly Swinton is a primary school teacher who provides Maths and English Tutoring and Dyslexia Help to children aged 3-18 in Kenilworth, Warwick, Leamington Spa and Coventry.

Tutoring - 3 questions you need to ask: One-to-one? Personalised? Qualifications and Experience?

What should I look for in a tutor?  3 Key Questions to ask:

A great tutor, like a specialist doctor, an honest mechanic or independent surveyor, is worth their weight in gold.  With the market largely unregulated and so many big companies keen to cash in - how do you know what to look for? 

1)      One-to-one?    

There are currently two main types of tutoring – group tutoring or one to one tutoring.  Group tutoring is big business, it is widely publicised, easily accessible but normally ties you into a contract and is often very expensive.    Many of my pupils in Warwickshire www.warwickshiretutor.com have previously tried group tuition with little benefit and are amazed by how rapidly they see results when their child has the undivided attention of a qualified teacher.

2)      Personalised? 

Personalised tutoring tends to yield very rapid results, it can focus exclusively on the specific areas that child needs help with: spelling problems, learning times tables, difficulty writing, mental maths, reading problems or preparing for exams.  With years of experience tutoring and classroom teaching, I can tailor lessons to suit each pupil’s weaknesses , learning styles, personality and interests (whether it is football, kittens, motorbikes or Doctor Who).    

Unfortunately, most tutoring on offer is based on a prescribed programme of worksheets or computer-based learning.  The benefits to the companies running these programmes is that they are cheap to administer and remove the need for educational professionals; in my opinion, some are just ineffective whilst others distinctly worrying. 

Also, if your child has any additional needs, such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, ADHD, ADD, ASD, Autism, Aspergers or disabilities, then I think it also worth finding a specialist tutor who will give them the support they deserve.  As a dyslexia specialist in Warwickshire and also being dyslexic myself, I know that finding the right tutor can have an enormous impact upon your child’s achievement and self-esteem.   (If you think your child might be dyslexic, you might be interested to look at www.warwickshiretutor.com/dyslexiachecklist.html  )

3)       Qualifications and Experience?   

The best way to find a tutor has to be word of mouth, so ask around – recent surveys show that most children in the UK receive tutoring of some kind, at some point.  Think about what you want in a tutor – do you want an established tutor with years of experience, or a student needing a bit of extra cash to get them through college?  My advice, is to find someone local, who has a good reputation and think about whether you want someone to come to your home or to go to their house (for example, pupils from Coventry, Leamington, Warwick, Stratford, Rugby, Solihull and Birmingham come to my home in Kenilworth). 

As a qualified primary school teacher, I am amazed by the fact that anyone can set themselves up as a tutor, without any teaching qualifications whatsoever.   I know it takes courage to ask for someone’s qualifications, but it may save a lot of time and wasted money.  Every tutor is different and so it is worth finding someone who is experienced at teaching the subject your child struggles with (e.g. Maths, English, Dyslexia) and also the correct level (SATs,  11+,  Entrance Exams,  GCSEs,  KS2,  KS1 or Reception)

Finally, safety should also be an important consideration, at the very least, do they have a CRB check?  I think any reputable tutor should be able to give you a list of testimonials, for example www.warwickshiretutor.com/testimonials.html   and also some parents you can phone to put your mind at rest.       

Can tutoring help Dyslexic children and teenagers achieve their dreams?

My dyslexic librarian - Despite being a dyslexia specialist, even I was surprised when my local librarian told me she was dyslexic. As my mother said “I bet she left that off her application form”.  Being dyslexic definitely makes me a better tutor; I imagine it makes her a more knowledgeable and sensitive librarian.  I was just a little shocked, which made me realise that deep down I’m still a bit insecure about my own dyslexia.  I personally know lots of teachers who are closet dyslexics, but dare we tell anyone?   

Are certain jobs particularly suited to dyslexics?   Society seems to be content with the notion that the creativity of many dyslexics leads them to become successful artists, musicians, actors, designers and filmmakers.  We also find it understandable that many seek fulfilment far from the world of books, a few becoming elite athletes, famous sports people or military heroes.   With bullying rife, maybe we can all identify with fellow dyslexic Mohammed Ali sometimes.   However, not all children are destined for physical or artistic excellence.  

Great expectations?  Lots of people talk about dyslexia as a gift, but do many people honestly believe this?  I think that one of the biggest difficulties facing dyslexics is nothing to do with reading, writing or memory, but instead low expectations.  If the 2003 Tulip Financial Research findings are accurate that 40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic, then low expectations may be ill-founded.  The ability to see the big picture and come up with innovative solutions to problems has produced billionaires like Richard Branson and a string of powerful U.S. presidents. 

If you have this dyslexic mind, do particular doors open and others clang shut?  Maybe.  Because of their lateral thinking and spatial awareness, one famous practice of architects actually prefers to employ dyslexics.  Should we all be architects?  My drawing skills aren’t going to feed my cat, let alone me. 

Did you hear about the dyslexic lawyer?  She took a bra exam. 
Whilst most dyslexics find school challenging and often are happier later in life when they can pursue the things they are good at, there are always exceptions.  Counter-intuitively, it’s possible to find famous dyslexic role models in heavily paper-based careers like the law or that require many years of arduous study, such as doctors.     

If you imagine one of the few careers you’d never get dyslexics in would be writing, guess again!  Whether you’re more interested in the critical acclaim of WB Yeats, or the wealth of Agatha Christie, I guess the lesson is not to write people off.  With the right help in the right ways, dyslexia doesn’t have to stop you achieving your dreams, whatever they are, and it might even be a benefit!    www.warwickshiretutor.com

Some food for thought: if the rumours of a possible cure for dyslexia become a reality, should we want it?  Would the world be a better place without the achievements  of Leonardo da Vinci, the films of Walt Disney, the stories of Hans Christian Anderson, the music of Lennon or Mozart, the art of Picasso, the buildings of Lord Rogers, the discoveries of Thomas Edison, the victory of Winston Churchill, or the genius of Albert Einstein?