Certified Dyslexia Practitioner Trainee
The Children's Dyslexia Center of Upper Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that provides highly specialized 1:1 tutoring to students with dyslexia, at no cost to families. Our center also provides nationally accredited tutor training to adults interested in becoming certified dyslexia tutors. We train tutors in the art and science of teaching reading using the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is considered to be the gold standard of instruction for students with dyslexia. Our tutors are able to use their training to make a profound impact on the lives of the students with whom they work.
The Children's Dyslexia Center of Upper Wisconsin is looking to recruit new tutors who can work with our long waitlist of students. Tutor training at our center is rigorous and thorough and is accredited by the International Multisensory Language Education Council (IMSLEC). Our training program is akin to taking a Master's Degree level college course, with the benefit of offering extensive hands-on experience working with students with dyslexia.
Applicants to our tutor training program must hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher for admission to the program and are required to complete 60 hours of course lecture and discussion, in-depth reading assignments, quizzes and exams, and 100 hours of supervised practicum at our center. All training is held in person on weekends, typically with one to two training days a month spread out over the course of a year. The 100 hour practicum requirement is met by tutoring 2 students 1:1 for 55 minutes twice a week after school at our center. Tutoring days are Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday between the hours of 3:00 to 7:00pm. Tutoring takes place year round, with 28 weeks of tutoring during the academic school year and 6 weeks of tutoring in the summer. Our typical academic school year tutoring schedule consists of 4 to 5 weeks of tutoring in a row, followed by one week off. We follow a shorter tutoring schedule during the summer, with 3 weeks of tutoring in both June and August, and no tutoring in July. After tutor trainees have completed all initial certification requirements, which typically takes a little over a year, they may be offered the option of staying on as a paid tutor. Paid tutors earn $27 per tutoring session as a starting wage.
Admission to our tutor training program is selective. To be considered for admission, candidates must submit an application for tutor training, resume, proof of degree, and 2 letters of recommendation. Applicants are also required to attend an interview and pass a background check. Our center awards training scholarships, valued at over $5,000, to all applicants that are accepted into the program.
Successful applicants are people who are passionate about helping kids who struggle academically, have time in their schedule to commit to tutoring, lesson planning, and training, and aren't afraid of the challenge that comes with learning something new. We have had people from many different academic backgrounds successfully complete our tutor training program social workers, nurses, educators, retired professionals, parents of children with dyslexia, etc. One does not need to have a background in education in order to become a successful tutor. Our training is hands-on and thorough, and we teach you everything you need to know in a guided manner.