Reading Comprehension Tutor Online, 1-to-1

How it works, in short

TaleemSquare reading comprehension tutoring helps children who read fluently but struggle to understand, remember or answer questions about what they read. In live, one-to-one lessons, tutors teach inference, finding the main idea, understanding vocabulary in context, following text structure and using evidence in answers.

Lessons use fiction and nonfiction matched to your child's level and school texts. Plans start at $85 a month after a free assessment.

Also called:Years 3-13 (UK)Grades 2-12 (CA)Years 2-12 (AU)

Format: Live, one-to-one, online
Lesson length: 45 minutes
Level: Ages 7-18
Price: From $85 a month

What changes after a term of lessons

Reading lessons mix reading aloud, talking about the text and short written answers.

Understands what they read

Can summarize a passage, explain the main idea and remember key details.

Reads between the lines

Makes sensible inferences about characters, motives and meaning, and explains why.

Answers with evidence

Supports every answer with words from the text, the skill tests and teachers look for.

What we cover

Lessons follow your child's own school or homeschool curriculum. These are the areas we work on most at this level.

Main idea and summary

Finding what a passage is mostly about and retelling it in a few sentences.

Inference

Using clues in the text and background knowledge to work out what is not stated.

Vocabulary in context

Working out unfamiliar words from the sentence around them.

Text structure

Cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and chronological order.

Author's purpose and point of view

Why a text was written and how the author's perspective shapes it.

Answering questions with evidence

Quoting and explaining evidence in short and extended responses.

Monitoring understanding

Noticing when meaning breaks down and rereading or asking questions.

Signs your child could use help

Reads aloud well but can't explain the story
Forgets what they read straight away
Struggles with why and how questions
Textbooks in science and history feel too hard
Test answers lack evidence from the text
Avoids reading longer books

One of these on its own is normal. Two or three together usually point to a specific gap, and finding it is what the free assessment is for.

Taught to your curriculum, wherever you live

Common Core Reading: Literature and Informational Text

From Grade 2 onward, standards emphasize key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integrating knowledge, all central to state ELA tests and later the SAT.

National Curriculum English: reading comprehension

Comprehension is assessed in the Key Stage 2 reading test in Year 6 and in GCSE English Language papers. Tutors practise retrieval, inference and language questions.

Level: Years 3-13

Ontario Language curriculum and the OSSLT (other provinces similar)

Comprehension strategies run through the Language curriculum, with EQAO reading in Grades 3 and 6 and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, usually in Grade 10.

Level: Grades 2-12

Australian Curriculum: English and NAPLAN reading

Literacy and literature strands build comprehension of increasingly complex texts. NAPLAN reading in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 assesses these skills.

Level: Years 2-12

Inside a 45-minute comprehension lesson

One 45-minute session. Tutors adjust the timings to your child.

5 min
Preview
Setting up the text and key vocabulary.
12 min
Read and think aloud
Reading with pauses to discuss meaning.
13 min
Questions with evidence
Answering different question types using the text.
10 min
Written response
A short written answer, then improved together.
5 min
Wrap-up
Summary and reading tips sent to you.

How we teach comprehension

Think aloud

Tutors model what a strong reader thinks while reading, then hand that process over to your child.

Short texts, deep talk

A short passage discussed well teaches more than a long chapter skimmed.

Background knowledge

Tutors build the knowledge a text assumes, because understanding depends on it.

Evidence habit

Every answer is backed by the text, until your child does it automatically.

Mother and daughter using a laptop together — Lessons run live on Zoom from home, with a parent welcome to sit in.

Boy writing in his notebook — Short written answers build the habit of using evidence.

After each class you get a WhatsApp note: what was read, what clicked, and one thing to practise at home.

Simple monthly plans

$85a month for 2 one-to-one reading and English lessons a week

Free 45-minute assessment first
No contract, cancel any month
No registration fee
4-class money-back promise
Switch tutor at no cost
WhatsApp update after every class

Starter

2 lessons a week, best for keeping up with school

$85/mo

GrowthMost chosen

3 lessons a week, best for catching up + building confidence

$119/mo

Intensive

4 lessons a week, best for exam prep & fast improvement

$149/mo

Full pricing and how we compare

Common worries, honest answers

“My child is a strong reader. Why are comprehension scores low?”

Fluent reading and comprehension are different skills. Some children read quickly without stopping to think. Comprehension strategies can be taught directly.

“Will tutoring help in other subjects?”

Usually yes. Better comprehension makes science, history and math word problems easier, because they all depend on understanding text.

“My child doesn't like reading.”

Tutors choose texts that interest your child, including nonfiction, sports and science topics, which often changes how they feel about reading.

Frequently asked questions

What is reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret and remember what you read. It depends on decoding words fluently, knowing vocabulary and background information, and using strategies such as making inferences, finding the main idea and monitoring understanding.

How can I improve my child's reading comprehension?

Read together and ask open questions: why did that happen, what might happen next, how do you know? Ask your child to summarize a chapter in a few sentences. Choose books that match their interests. A tutor can teach specific strategies if gaps persist.

Why does my child read well but not understand?

Some children decode quickly but don't actively think about meaning, or lack vocabulary and background knowledge for the text. Comprehension can also suffer if fluency takes too much effort. An assessment can show which applies to your child.

How much does reading comprehension tutoring cost?

One-to-one reading comprehension lessons at TaleemSquare start at $85 a month for two 45-minute lessons a week, about $10.63 a lesson. Three lessons a week cost $119 and four cost $149, with no contract, no registration fee and a free first assessment.

Do you help with comprehension for the SAT?

Yes. The digital SAT Reading and Writing section tests comprehension of short passages. Tutors build the core skills and practise SAT-style questions with older students.

Do you use my child's school books?

Yes, whenever helpful. Tutors can use class novels and textbook passages, or choose texts at the right level for skill practice.

Reading Comprehension Tutor for Grades 2-12