Hearing and working with sounds
Helping children notice, say, combine, and separate the sounds in spoken words, which gives reading and spelling a stronger foundation.
Private support for families in Apex, NC
Phonics tutoring in Apex, NC
When letter sounds do not yet add up to confident reading, your child deserves a clear, patient way forward. Apex Literacy Specialists provides one-to-one phonics tutoring for K-5 learners.
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✦20+ yearsin public education
◆Master’sin Education
✺CERIcertified
▣Orton-Gillinghamcertified
When words do not come together
Knowing letter sounds is only one part of learning to read.
Many children can name letters or say individual sounds, yet reading a whole word still feels slow, uncertain, or frustrating. They may guess from the first letter, lose track of sounds as a word gets longer, or avoid reading words they have not already memorized. Spelling can feel just as unpredictable, even when they have practiced the word many times.
That does not mean a child is not trying. It often means they need a clearer connection between the sounds they hear, the letters and patterns they see, and the words they are trying to read or write. Phonics tutoring makes those connections more visible and more usable, one understandable step at a time.
Rather than rushing through a list of words, Erin helps learners build strategies they can return to when a new word appears. The aim is to replace guesswork with a dependable way to approach reading and spelling.
That foundation can also make school tasks feel less mysterious. When children have a way to work through an unfamiliar word, they can spend less energy wondering what to do next and more energy taking part in the reading, writing, and conversations around them.
Clear, structured instruction
Help your child see how sounds and letters work together.
Phonics is more than memorizing a sound for each letter. Children learn that letters can work alone or together, that some patterns change depending on the word, and that spoken sounds, reading, and spelling are closely connected. Those ideas become more manageable when they are taught directly and practiced in a purposeful order.
In one-to-one tutoring, Erin can slow down when a pattern is new, offer a different explanation when one is not clicking, and notice when your child is ready to apply a skill in words, sentences, and real reading. The pace follows the learner, while the instruction stays clear and connected.
See the structured literacy approach →
What phonics tutoring can support
Build reading and spelling from skills that make sense.
Each child begins in a different place. Sessions focus on the patterns and strategies that will be most useful for the learner in front of us, then make space to practice and apply them.
Connecting sounds to letters
Making letter-sound relationships and common spelling patterns more understandable, so print feels less like a collection of facts to memorize.
Blending and reading words
Giving children a reliable way to move through the sounds and patterns in an unfamiliar word, rather than relying on pictures, context, or a guess.
Spelling and word patterns
Using the same sound and pattern knowledge to make spelling feel more connected to reading and less like a separate test of memory.
Fluency in connected reading
Helping new skills carry into phrases, sentences, and books, so reading can gradually become smoother and leave more room for meaning.
What families can expect
Direct instruction with room to build confidence.
- Start with what your child is doing now.Families share the reading and spelling moments that feel difficult, along with the interests and strengths their child brings to learning.
- Teach the pattern underneath the struggle.Sessions focus on the sounds, letters, and word patterns that need clearer explanation and practice, not simply more repetition of frustrating work.
- Practice, apply, and revisit.New learning needs time to settle. Skills return in meaningful ways so a child can use them in reading, spelling, and everyday schoolwork.
Support that notices the whole learner
Build skills without making reading feel heavier.
A child who is working hard at a skill that still feels confusing can start to believe they are behind or not good at school. Phonics tutoring should protect confidence as it builds a stronger foundation. The work stays specific, but it also makes room for encouragement, interests, and the relief that comes when a new idea finally makes sense.
Erin brings more than 20 years of experience in general and special education, a master’s degree in education, CERI certification, and Orton-Gillingham certification to each family conversation. Those qualifications support careful, informed instruction that responds to both the skill and the child.
The goal is not a quick fix or a race through a program. It is to give your child clearer tools, a steadier sense of progress, and a more confident way to meet the next word.
When to reach out
You do not need to wait until reading becomes a daily battle.
It may be time to talk when your child knows some letter sounds but cannot reliably blend them into words, often guesses at unfamiliar words, avoids reading aloud, or finds spelling much harder than expected. You may also notice that short words are manageable but longer words cause frustration, or that your child understands a story when it is read aloud but struggles to read the words independently.
A formal dyslexia diagnosis is not required to begin a conversation about phonics tutoring. Tutoring is educational support, not a diagnosis or a replacement for a school evaluation. If you are considering screening or a fuller evaluation, you can discuss that with your child’s school or a qualified professional while exploring support that may help now.
For a closer look at how blending works, read our parent guide to blending in phonics. Families who are noticing broader reading or spelling concerns can also explore one-to-one reading tutoring in Apex and tutoring for dyslexia.
A useful first conversation
Bring the examples you already have.
You do not need to know the right educational terms before reaching out. A short description of what you are seeing is enough to begin. You might share that your child can say letter sounds but cannot read simple words, that they leave out sounds while spelling, or that reading homework regularly becomes exhausting.
Teacher observations, work samples, school reports, and prior screening results can be helpful later, but they are not required for a first email. It also helps to name what is going well. A child may love stories, have strong ideas, enjoy being read to, or keep trying even when reading is hard. Those strengths matter because they shape support that builds literacy without losing sight of the learner.
The first conversation is simply a chance to understand your family’s situation and decide whether Apex Literacy Specialists is the right fit. You are not expected to solve the problem alone before asking for help.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from families.
Who can benefit from phonics tutoring?
Phonics tutoring can help K-5 children who know some letter sounds but have trouble blending sounds into words, reading unfamiliar words, spelling, or building confidence with independent reading.
What happens in a phonics tutoring session?
Sessions are one-to-one and shaped around your child’s current skills. Work may include hearing and working with sounds, connecting sounds to letters and patterns, reading words, spelling, and using new skills in connected text.
Does my child need a dyslexia diagnosis for phonics tutoring?
No. A diagnosis is not required to begin a conversation about phonics tutoring. Tutoring is educational support and does not replace a school evaluation or clinical diagnosis.
How do we get started?
Email Erin with what you are noticing, what feels difficult, and what you hope support can change. Together, you can decide whether Apex Literacy Specialists is the right fit.
Help reading feel clearer, one sound and word at a time.
A simple conversation can make the next step feel more manageable.