Last updated: October 2026 · By the Redwood Literacy team · 9-minute read
This online dyslexia tutoring FAQ is about the Redwood Method, our online one-on-one program for kids with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. If your family already enrolled, bookmark it. It’s your reference guide for the year ahead.
Attend one of our in-person learning centers?
Programs, calendars, and policies differ by location. Click your center:
Quick Answers: Online Dyslexia Tutoring at Redwood
- What it is: a 12-month, one-on-one online program with a certified specialist, two to five days a week.
- Ages: kindergarten through 12th grade, with a sweet spot of 2nd to 5th grade.
- How you start: the $150 Academic Clarity Plan, credited to your first invoice if you enroll.
- Proof: quarterly DIBELS® 8 reports, plus a 90-day progress guarantee.
- Flexibility: a free instructor or schedule change in the first 30 days, and four weeks off built in.
All 25 Questions
- What is the Redwood Method?
- Who is online dyslexia tutoring at Redwood for?
- My child was just diagnosed with dyslexia. What should I do first?
- Does my child need a formal diagnosis before starting?
- Can we try Redwood before committing to a year?
- What is the difference between a struggling reader and a child with dyslexia?
- Does dyslexia mean my child has low intelligence?
- Can dyslexia be cured?
- Can my child with dyslexia have a successful career?
- What is the best reading program for a child with dyslexia?
- Does online dyslexia tutoring really work?
- Will online sessions feel like Zoom school?
- Who are Redwood’s instructors?
- My child already gets help at school. Do they need tutoring too?
- Can you help if my child has ADHD or autism too?
- How much does online dyslexia tutoring cost at Redwood?
- Why is the Redwood Method a full year instead of month to month?
- What is Redwood’s progress guarantee?
- What if my child doesn’t click with their instructor?
- What happens if we miss a session for a doctor’s appointment, sports, or vacation?
- Should my child take a break from tutoring over the summer?
- How will I know if my child is making progress?
- How long does it take a child with dyslexia to read at grade level?
- Is my child too old or too young for dyslexia intervention?
- How can I help my child with dyslexia at home?
Getting Started With Online Dyslexia Tutoring
1. What is the Redwood Method?
The Redwood Method is Redwood Literacy’s 12-month, one-on-one online program for kids with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. A certified specialist works with your child two to five days a week, using a written plan built from your child’s own assessment data.
It is not homework help or tutoring by the hour. It is a year of structured remediation with a team behind it, progress measured against national benchmarks, and a schedule we manage for you. For the full picture, read What Is the Redwood Method?.
2. Who is online dyslexia tutoring at Redwood for?
Our online one-on-one program serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or a suspected learning difference. Our sweet spot is 2nd through 5th grade, but we work with every age.
It is the strongest fit for families who want measurable growth this year, can protect two or more sessions a week, and want a team to lead the plan. If you are looking for homework help or a few sessions to try, we will tell you honestly that we are not the right fit.
3. My child was just diagnosed with dyslexia. What should I do first?
First, take a breath: a diagnosis is the start of a plan, not a verdict. Next, get a clear picture of exactly which skills are missing, then start structured, research-based instruction as soon as you can, because earlier intervention produces bigger gains.
We wrote a step-by-step guide for this moment: Just Found Out Your Child Has Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, or Dyscalculia? Start Here.
4. Does my child need a formal diagnosis before starting?
No. Your child does not need a diagnosis to start with Redwood. Every student begins with our Academic Clarity Plan, a one-on-one baseline assessment that shows exactly where your child’s reading, writing, or math skills are today.
If you want a full diagnostic evaluation for school or legal purposes, we can talk you through it. Learn more about our dyslexia assessments.
5. Can we try Redwood before committing to a year?
Yes. Your trial is the Academic Clarity Plan, which costs $150. Your child meets one-on-one with a Redwood specialist, and within three to five business days you get a written report: where your child is today, what we recommend, how many days a week, and whether Redwood is the right fit.
If you enroll, the $150 goes toward your first invoice. If you don’t, you keep a report you can share with your child’s school.
Understanding Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
6. What is the difference between a struggling reader and a child with dyslexia?
Many children struggle to read for a while; a child with dyslexia keeps struggling with decoding and spelling even with good classroom instruction, because their brain needs the sound-symbol code taught explicitly and systematically.
The clearest clue is a gap between how bright your child is and how hard reading feels. A baseline assessment tells you which skills are missing so you are not guessing.
7. Does dyslexia mean my child has low intelligence?
No. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. It is a difference in how the brain processes the sounds and symbols of written language, and many children with dyslexia are verbally sharp, creative, and great problem solvers.
What makes kids feel “dumb” is sitting in a classroom failing at something everyone else seems to do easily. Being explicitly taught the skill they couldn’t do is what ends that feeling.
8. Can dyslexia be cured?
Dyslexia is not cured, because it is not an illness; it is a lifelong way of processing language. But it is very treatable. With structured, research-based instruction, most children learn to read, write, and spell well.
Our goal is graduation, not lifelong tutoring. Every student has a dated goal, and when they reach it, we plan their next step together.
9. Can my child with dyslexia have a successful career?
Absolutely. People with dyslexia thrive in every field, from medicine and engineering to business, design, and the trades. The skills that matter most are strong reading foundations, confidence, and the ability to advocate for themselves.
We wrote about this in depth: Can My Child With Dyslexia Have a Successful Career?
How Our Online One-on-One Program Works
10. What is the best reading program for a child with dyslexia?
The best reading program for dyslexia is structured literacy: explicit, systematic, multisensory instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency, and comprehension, delivered one-on-one and adjusted to your child’s data.
Our instructors are trained in Wilson Reading System®, SPELL-Links™, EBLI™, UFLI Foundations, Writing Our World®, and Redwood Math. Curious why we often lead with a speech-to-print approach? Read Wilson vs. EBLI™.
11. Does online dyslexia tutoring really work?
Yes, when it is the right kind of instruction. Online one-on-one structured literacy with a certified specialist delivers the same program as in-person work, and our online and in-person students use the same instructors, curricula, and data systems.
Last school year, all 108 Redwood students who completed fall and spring DIBELS® 8 benchmarks finished the year reading better than they started, and on average they grew 29% more than the national expectation. More on virtual learning and IEPs: Does Virtual Instruction Actually Work for Students with IEPs?
12. Will online sessions feel like Zoom school?
No. We don’t use Zoom. Sessions happen in Pearl, our own virtual classroom built for one-on-one intervention, with interactive tools, individualized lessons, and session-to-session continuity. It is one adult and your child, not a grid of faces.
All you need is a computer or tablet, a browser, headphones, and internet. No printer, no software to install, and you don’t need to sit in on sessions.
Still have questions? Book a free 20-minute consultation call and we’ll answer them about your child specifically.
13. Who are Redwood’s instructors?
Redwood instructors are certified teachers and learning specialists; most hold master’s degrees, and many are special education certified. They are trained in research-based programs and supported by our programming team.
Because we work across many states, we match your child with the best-fit specialist, not just whoever lives nearby.
14. My child already gets help at school. Do they need tutoring too?
Often, yes. School services are usually small-group and minutes-based, while Redwood is one-on-one, higher dosage, and built around your child’s data. The two work best together.
Our quarterly reports use DIBELS® 8, which many schools already use, so you can bring them straight to your IEP or 504 team. Heading into a meeting? See Top Accommodations and Modifications to Ask For at Your IEP Meeting. And if tutoring hasn’t worked before, here is the difference between tutoring and remediation.
15. Can you help if my child has ADHD or autism too?
Yes. Many of our students have ADHD, autism, or other co-occurring needs. We have instructors with that specific experience, and we build each session around attention and regulation rather than against it.
Cost, Commitment, and Our Guarantee
16. How much does online dyslexia tutoring cost at Redwood?
Your child’s investment depends on the subjects and the number of days per week they need. We share pricing on your free consultation call, once we understand your child.
Families can pay for the year up front and save 10%, or pay quarterly. We also accept ESA funds in qualified states, can bill some schools and districts directly, and can provide documentation for HSA reimbursement where your bank allows it. See our ESA-approved online program.
17. Why is the Redwood Method a full year instead of month to month?
Real remediation takes consistent instruction over time, and a year is the window where progress compounds. Month-to-month plans make it easy to stop right before the growth shows up.
Think of it like school tuition. Four weeks off are built into the year, so you only pay for the weeks we teach.
18. What is Redwood’s progress guarantee?
With at least 90% attendance at two or more sessions a week, your child will show documented raw score growth on at least one DIBELS® 8 measure within the first 90 days. If they don’t, we give you four weeks of services for free and keep working.
It is a promise about direction, not a promise of grade level in 12 weeks. Read exactly what it covers in What Our 12-Week DIBELS Guarantee Really Means.
19. What if my child doesn’t click with their instructor?
In the first 30 days, we will switch your instructor or change your schedule for free, no questions asked. Rapport is not a nice-to-have; it is how the learning happens.
Schedules, Missed Sessions, and Summer
20. What happens if we miss a session for a doctor’s appointment, sports, or vacation?
You set a weekly schedule once, and if something comes up, we reschedule within two weeks of the original date, based on your instructor’s availability. If a new sports season changes your afternoons, we reset your slot around it.
Four weeks off are built into your tuition: our Thanksgiving and winter breaks, plus time that is yours for a trip or a camp week. Federal holidays are made up the same week.
21. Should my child take a break from tutoring over the summer?
We recommend staying through summer, because that is when the gap either closes or widens. Kids who keep going often start the fall ahead, while kids who stop usually spend the fall relearning what they had.
That is why we build weeks off into the year instead of a summer break. A long pause also means your child’s instructor and time slot may not be available when you come back.
Results, Timelines, and Helping at Home
22. How will I know if my child is making progress?
You get a monthly email update on what your child worked on and what is next, plus a quarterly norm-referenced DIBELS® 8 report comparing your child to students in the same grade nationally. If progress stalls, we tell you and change the plan.
Want to understand the numbers? Read How Do I Know if My Child Is Making Reading Growth?
23. How long does it take a child with dyslexia to read at grade level?
It depends on how big the gap is, your child’s age, and how many sessions a week they attend. Younger children with milder gaps often need about a year; older students or bigger gaps often need two. More sessions per week usually means an earlier finish line.
We won’t guess before we have data. After the Academic Clarity Plan, we set a dated goal and measure against it every quarter.
24. Is my child too old or too young for dyslexia intervention?
It is never too late, and it is rarely too early. Older students absolutely grow; the work shifts toward decoding plus strategy, assistive technology, and self-advocacy. For younger children, early is the fastest and easiest version of this work.
Research backs starting now: in one study, children who received intervention in 1st and 2nd grade gained almost twice as much as children who got the same instruction in 3rd grade (Lovett et al., 2017).
25. How can I help my child with dyslexia at home?
Read aloud together, let your child listen to audiobooks, praise effort over speed, and keep homework battles short. Your instructor will also send specific practice ideas that match what your child is learning.
For more ideas, see our Parent Guide: Ways to Support Your Struggling Reader and Writer at Home.
Ready to Talk About Your Child?
If you’ve read this far, you’re the kind of parent who does the homework. Let us take the next step with you. On a free 20-minute call, we’ll learn about your child, answer your questions, and tell you honestly whether the Redwood Method is the right fit.
Prefer to start with data? Begin with the Academic Clarity Plan.
In-person family? Visit your center’s page: Lincoln Park · Evanston · Nashville · Albuquerque
