Your Questions, Answered

Sometimes it’s clear that a child can’t read. Other times, the child compensates  for this challenge well and it can disguise itself as other behaviors. The key signs that a challenge is reading-related are when a child uses avoidance techniques and is  emotionally or intellectually disconnected when it comes to reading.

1. Emotional: Does kriah make your child anxious? Do they get nervous when they’re called on in class? Do they fight their kriah homework?
2. Intellectual: Can your child repeat information by heart, but can’t read it from inside? Can they sing the entire kiddush, but stumble when you ask them to point along in the siddur? Is there a contrast between how your child is doing with oral information versus text-based learning?

If your child has an emotional reaction to reading, or if their knowledge and reading behaviors don’t match up, it’s worth exploring their kriah abilities further.

Yes. I spent decades working in special ed before transitioning into kriah. While the majority of my kriah students have no specific learning disabilities, roughly a quarter struggle with challenges like ADD or dyslexia.

The answer varies case to case, although most parents and teachers see progress almost immediately. The 30-minute sessions are — at minimum — twice a week, so we can consistently build on the skills without any lag. The average child comes for 20-30 sessions, although some have graduated after as little as two sessions and some needed a few months.

Although in-person sessions are ideal, Zoom sessions are always an option. I see local children either at my home office or in their school, depending on scheduling and availability. 

Yes, but not the scary kind. In this program, homework is considered a compliment. It means that the child has made enough progress to practice on their own. They’re proud of the milestone and usually excited to take their work home.

I mainly work with children ages 9+, although I will evaluate from as early as 6, if the situation calls for it. There’s no limit to which age can gain from learning to read — my oldest graduates have been in their twenties.