Q: How often should my child be tutored, and for how long? 

A: It is recommended that students be tutored for a minimum of two hours per week, so typically, two 1 hr. sessions per week. It can take 2 or more years to complete the Barton System in its entirety. However, we typically start to notice improvement in students’ reading abilities after about 3-4 months of consistent tutoring. 

Q: What are your rates? 

A: The rate for tutoring is $58.00 per hour, plus HST. 

Q: Do you tutor in French? 

A: Unfortunately, No. Our services are only offered in English due to the nature of the program we use with our students. The Barton Reading and Spelling System teaches all of the phonetic sounds and spelling rules of the English language. Since those same rules cannot necessarily be applied to the French language, the program cannot be translated and applied in French. 

Q: Do you tutor in Math?

A: No. We tutor using the Barton Reading and Spelling System, which focuses on improving overall decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling/writing) skills. 

Q: Does my child need a formal diagnosis of dyslexia to take part in tutoring? 

A: No. All students can benefit from a more structured and explicit approach to learning to read and write. If your child struggles with sounding out words, both when reading and spelling, please contact us to learn more about the program and whether your child would benefit from our services. 

Q: Will my child be assigned homework from their tutoring sessions? 

A: Typically, no. If homework is assigned, it would be tailored to your child’s learning needs and used as an opportunity to reinforce concepts that may require some added practice. We try not to overwhelm our students with additional work unless we feel it would be helpful for the student. 

Q: How old must a student be to take part in your tutoring program? 

A: The Barton Reading and Spelling System can be used with students of all ages from Kindergarten to High School, and even into adulthood. The program starts with strengthening underlying pre-reading skills such as phonemic awareness, and ends at a Grade 9 reading and spelling level. 

Q: Is the Barton program an Orton-Gillingham based program? 

A: Yes. The Barton Reading and Spelling System is one of the most reputable Orton-Gillingham tutoring systems there is, and has been around for over 20 years. The core principles of Orton-Gillingham are all incorporated into the teachings of the Barton system. 

Q: Can tutoring be claimed on income tax? 

A: According to CRA, tutoring fees can be claimed as a non-refundable medical expense on your income tax when the services are "additional to the primary education of a person with a learning disability or an impairment in mental functions, and paid to a person in the business of providing these services to individuals who are not related to the person. A medical practitioner must certify in writing that these services are needed." If you are unsure whether your child is eligible for tax-deductible tutoring, we encourage you to speak with an accountant.