In my years of dyslexia tutoring, one of the most common questions I get is regarding the right age to start dyslexia tutoring. In most cases, the answer is “the sooner, the better”. The reason for this view is twofold; first of all, getting a child the dyslexia tutoring they need early will prevent them from going through the struggles that many children face for years when their dyslexia has not been addressed; secondly, this will help them derive the most benefit from the other areas of their education. A child who has their dyslexia addressed early on will be able to enjoy reading, and learn more at school as they progress through the various grades.
Now, the reason that some children do not receive extra help for their dyslexia early on, is the fact that nobody recognized it in them until a certain age. Sometimes, a child may struggle for years in school, having difficulty with reading, math and other subjects, until somebody recognizes that they are dyslexic. In this case, once the dyslexia is recognized, it is still recommended to get the student dyslexia tutoring as soon as possible. This will help the child better understand why they have difficulty in school, will help them start making progress that will encourage them, and will put them on the right to being able to achieve success at school.
I am also often asked what age is too young for dyslexia tutoring. In fact, the answer to this question depends on the child, and whether they are able to sit through a tutoring session and focus enough to gain something from what is being presented. I have had some six year old students who do very well at tutoring, while others have needed a bit more time to mature before they were able focus during dyslexia tutoring. So, overall, this depends on the nature of the child.
Peter
