Who This Is For

This service is for children in Bali who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or who show dyslexia-like traits — difficulty with reading, spelling, writing, and phonological processing. We work with children aged 5 to 18, from all school types: international schools, Indonesian national schools, and homeschool families.

We do not diagnose dyslexia. We do not treat dyslexia. We do not replace clinical care, assessment, or therapy. We are tutors. We teach reading, spelling, and writing using multi-sensory strategies that work for dyslexic learners. We build confidence. We do not cure dyslexia.

If your child has not been diagnosed but you suspect dyslexia, we recommend speaking to a qualified educational psychologist in Bali or your home country. We can work with you and your child while you seek assessment, but we do not provide diagnostic services.

Signs the Child May Benefit from Support

Dyslexia manifests differently in every child. But there are common patterns we see in the children we tutor in Bali:

Slow, effortful reading: The child reads word by word, sounding out each one, and loses the meaning of the sentence. They may skip words, guess words, or substitute similar-looking words.
Spelling difficulties: The child's spelling is phonetically plausible but incorrect. They may write "wuz" for "was", "sed" for "said", or "becoz" for "because". They may spell the same word differently within the same piece of writing.
Writing difficulties: The child has good ideas but cannot get them on paper. Their writing is disorganised, poorly punctuated, and full of spelling errors. They may avoid writing altogether.
Phonological awareness difficulties: The child struggles to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words. They may have trouble rhyming, segmenting words into sounds, or blending sounds together.
Letter and number reversal: Younger children may reverse letters (b/d, p/q) and numbers (6/9, 2/5). This is normal in early childhood but persistent reversal beyond age 7 can be a sign of dyslexia.
Memory difficulties: The child has trouble remembering sequences (days of the week, months of the year, multiplication tables) and instructions ("Put your book away, get your pencil, and sit down").
Low confidence: The child is bright and capable in many areas but believes they are "stupid" because they cannot read or write as well as their peers. This is heartbreaking and common.
Family history: Dyslexia runs in families. If a parent or sibling has dyslexia, the child is more likely to have it.

If you recognise three or more of these signs, tutoring support may help. It will not cure dyslexia. But it can give your child strategies, tools, and confidence.

How Tutoring Supports Dyslexic Learners (NOT Diagnosis)

It is important to be clear about what we do and what we do not do.

What we do:

We teach reading using multi-sensory, structured phonics programmes that are evidence-based for dyslexic learners (e.g., synthetic phonics, Orton-Gillingham-inspired approaches).
We teach spelling explicitly: rules, patterns, syllables, roots, and prefixes. We do not rely on memorisation. Dyslexic brains need logic, not rote learning.
We teach writing using frameworks, graphic organisers, and scaffolds that reduce the cognitive load of writing.
We build reading confidence by starting with success and gradually increasing challenge. We use decodable texts that match the child's phonics level.
We teach assistive technology: text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and spell-checkers that help dyslexic children access content and express their ideas.
We communicate with parents after every session so you know what strategies to reinforce at home.

What we do NOT do:

We do not diagnose dyslexia or any other condition.
We do not treat dyslexia. We are not doctors, psychologists, or therapists.
We do not guarantee that your child will learn to read at grade level. Dyslexia is a lifelong neurological difference. Some children make dramatic progress. Others make steady, incremental progress. We cannot predict outcomes.
We do not replace clinical care, assessment, or therapy.
We do not use unproven methods. We use evidence-based, structured literacy approaches.

Tutoring is a support service. It helps children with dyslexia learn to read, spell, and write more effectively. It does not address the underlying neurological difference. If your child needs clinical support, we encourage you to work with a qualified educational psychologist alongside tutoring.

Multi-Sensory Reading Strategies

Dyslexic brains learn best when information is presented through multiple senses simultaneously: seeing, hearing, saying, and doing. We use multi-sensory strategies in every session.

Synthetic phonics: We teach phonics systematically and explicitly. The child learns the sounds of letters, then blends them to read words. We do not teach whole-word memorisation or "sight words" in isolation. Every word is decoded.

Sound-to-symbol mapping: We teach the child to map sounds to letters. We use letter tiles, sand trays, and finger tracing to engage the tactile sense. The child sees the letter, says the sound, writes the letter, and feels the shape.

Syllable division: We teach the child to divide words into syllables. This makes long words manageable. We teach six syllable types: closed, open, vowel-consonant-e, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le.

Morphology: We teach roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Dyslexic children often understand meaning better than phonics. Teaching morphology gives them a logical framework for decoding and spelling long words. For example, "unhappy" = un (not) + happy (happy). "Happiness" = happy + ness (state of being).

Decodable texts: We use books that match the child's phonics level. If the child has learned short vowel sounds, they read books with short vowel words. If they have learned silent e, they read books with silent e words. This builds confidence and reinforces learning.

Repeated reading: We read the same text multiple times to build fluency and automaticity. The first read is for decoding. The second is for fluency. The third is for comprehension.

Phonics and Spelling Approaches

Spelling is the hardest part of English for dyslexic learners. English has 44 sounds and 250+ spelling patterns. We teach spelling systematically, not randomly.

Phonics rules: We teach the most common phonics rules first: silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, consonant digraphs, and blends. We teach the rule, practice it, and apply it to real words.

Syllable spelling: We teach the child to spell by syllable. For example, "information" = in-for-ma-tion. The child spells each syllable, then puts them together.

Morphological spelling: We teach roots, prefixes, and suffixes as spelling units. For example, "transport" = trans (across) + port (carry). The child learns the spelling of each unit and how they combine.

Memory strategies: For irregular words that cannot be decoded phonically (e.g., "was", "said", "could"), we use memory strategies: visualisation, mnemonics, and repeated practice. We do not rely on rote memorisation.

Proofreading: We teach the child to proofread their own writing using a checklist: capital letters, full stops, spelling, and meaning. We teach them to read their writing aloud to catch errors.

Confidence Building

Dyslexia is not just a reading difficulty. It is a confidence difficulty. Many children with dyslexia believe they are stupid because they cannot read as well as their peers. This is not true. Dyslexia is a neurological difference, not a measure of intelligence. Many highly successful people are dyslexic: Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, and countless others.

We build confidence through:

Starting with success: We begin every session with a task the child can do. This primes the brain for learning and creates a positive emotional state.
Frequent, specific praise: We praise effort, strategy, and improvement — not just correct answers. "You worked really hard on that word — well done." "I noticed you used the syllable strategy — excellent."
Growth mindset: We teach the child that reading ability is not fixed. It can be developed through effort and the right strategies. We share stories of successful dyslexic people.
Celebrating progress: We track and celebrate small wins. "Last month you could read 20 words per minute. Now you can read 35. That's a huge improvement."
Reducing anxiety: We create a calm, predictable, low-stress learning environment. The child is in their own villa, not a busy classroom. There are no other children watching. The tutor is patient and kind.

Parent Updates and Progress

After every session, the tutor sends a brief WhatsApp message with:

What was covered
What strategies were used
What the child did well
What needs more work
What the parent can reinforce at home
The plan for the next session

Every four weeks, we send a formal progress report with:

Summary of topics covered and strategies taught
Reading level assessment (e.g., words per minute, accuracy, comprehension)
Spelling assessment
Writing sample review
Observations about confidence and attitude
Recommendations for the next month
Any suggestions for school communication or additional support

What This Is NOT

This is the most important section on this page. Please read it carefully.

Tutoring does NOT replace:

Educational psychology assessment or diagnosis
Speech and language therapy
Occupational therapy
Medical treatment or medication
School-based special educational needs (SEN) support
Shadow teaching or in-school support (we offer this separately — see /shadow-teacher-bali)

Tutoring complements these services. If your child is receiving clinical care or therapy, we can work alongside these services. We are happy to communicate with your child's psychologist, speech therapist, or school SEN coordinator if you give us permission. But we do not replace them.

If your child is struggling significantly with reading and spelling and has not been assessed, we strongly encourage you to seek an educational psychology assessment. In Bali, there are educational psychologists who can assess dyslexia. We can provide referrals if needed.

Related Services

Families who use dyslexia tutoring often also benefit from:

Shadow teaching: In-school support for children who need help accessing the classroom curriculum. See /shadow-teacher-bali.
Learning support tutoring: Targeted literacy and numeracy intervention. See /learning-support-teacher-bali.
English tutoring: For older students who need help with academic writing, essay structure, and literature analysis. See /english-tutoring-bali.
ADHD tutoring: Many children with dyslexia also have ADHD. See /adhd-support-bali.
Homeschool tutoring: For families who have chosen to homeschool because the school environment is not suitable for their child. See /homeschool-teachers-bali.

FAQ

Do you diagnose dyslexia?

No. We are tutors, not psychologists. If you suspect your child has dyslexia, we recommend seeking assessment from a qualified educational psychologist. We can provide referrals if needed.

What reading programmes do you use?

We use structured, multi-sensory phonics approaches inspired by Orton-Gillingham and synthetic phonics programmes. We do not use whole-language or balanced literacy approaches, which are not effective for dyslexic learners.

How long until we see progress?

Most parents notice improved reading confidence and accuracy within 6-8 weeks of regular tutoring. For spelling, it may take 3-4 months to see consistent improvement. Dyslexia is a lifelong difference — progress is steady, not instant.

Can you help with spelling?

Yes. Spelling is a major focus of our dyslexia tutoring. We teach phonics rules, syllable division, morphology, and memory strategies. We do not rely on rote memorisation.

Do you use assistive technology?

Yes. We teach children to use text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and spell-checkers. These tools are not cheating. They are accommodations that level the playing field for dyslexic learners.

How do you build confidence?

We start with success, praise effort and strategy, teach growth mindset, celebrate progress, and create a calm, low-stress learning environment. We also share stories of successful dyslexic people.

What if my child is not diagnosed but I suspect dyslexia?

We can start tutoring while you seek assessment. Many of the strategies we use are effective for all struggling readers, not just those with dyslexia. We will adapt our approach based on assessment results if you choose to pursue diagnosis.

Do you offer online tutoring?

Yes. For families who travel frequently or live in remote areas of Bali, we offer online tutoring via Zoom. We use digital phonics tools, shared whiteboards, and decodable e-books.

Dyslexia Tutor in Bali