Academic Tutoring & Learning Support
When a student is falling behind—or working hard but not seeing results—something deeper is going on.
Many students who struggle academically are not lacking effort—they are missing the right strategies. They lose points on assignments they understood and freeze up on tests they studied for. They fall further behind each semester because no one has addressed the underlying gaps in their skills or their approach to learning.
Our tutors work one-on-one with students to identify exactly where the disconnect is—whether that’s reading fluency, writing organization, math reasoning, study habits, or confidence—and build the specific skills that change the trajectory. We support students across all academic areas from elementary school through college.
Dynamic Tutoring Solutions works with our students to accelerate their academic success by driving motivation, providing individualized attention, and building life skills. We then grow with our students as their needs evolve year to year.
Tutoring for students with dyslexia or dyscalculia
Our tutors have extensive experience working with students with dyslexia and dyscalculia. We use a combination of research-based programs focused on skill-building while simultaneously working on supporting skills, such as motivation, organization, and beyond.
We use structured, multisensory programs developed specifically for students with learning disabilities—to build foundational reading, spelling, and math skills.
Most importantly, learning disabilities, such as dyslexia or dyscalculia, do not have to limit a student’s success; with the right support, students develop real confidence and measurable progress.
Examples of the programs we use:
For students who struggle with reading and spelling—or have dyslexia.
Some students read slowly, guess at unfamiliar words, or avoid reading aloud because it feels unreliable and embarrassing. For students with dyslexia—and others who struggle with reading and spelling—the issue is not intelligence or effort. It is that their brains process written language differently, and most classroom instruction was not designed with that in mind.
Our tutors use the Wilson Reading System, a structured, multisensory program developed specifically for students with dyslexia, to teach reading and spelling in a way that works for how these students actually learn. Wilson is one of the most rigorously researched reading programs available, and many of our tutors are extensively trained in its methods.
For students who have hit a wall with math at any grade level—or have dyscalculia.
Math anxiety is real. For students who have hit a wall—whether it’s fractions in 5th grade, algebra in 8th grade, or calculus in high school—the problem is often that earlier concepts were never fully understood, just memorized and quickly forgotten.
We use Making Math Real, a multisensory structured mathematics program, to rebuild math understanding from the ground up. Rather that reteaching the same way that didn’t work the first time, Making Math Real engages students visually, auditorily, and through hands-on methods simultaneously—reaching students who process information differently and giving them a foundation they can actually build on.
For students who struggle to get their thoughts on paper and hate writing.
Writing is one of the most common sources of academic frustration. Students who can answer questions out loud sit frozen in front of a blank page. Students who have something to say cannot figure out how to organize it. Students who write pages of content get marked down because the argument was unclear.
Step up to Writing gives students a concrete, systematic framework for organizing their thoughts and constructing a clear, well-supported written work. It works across grade levels—from students who are just learning to structure a paragraph to advanced students writing research papers—and it is one of the few writing programs that actually transfers into different subjects and assignments.
Dynamic Tutoring Solutions provides academic tutoring and learning support for students throughout Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Winnetka, Northfield, Glenview, Northbrook, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Evanston, and Highland Park.
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Do your tutors have experience working with students with dyslexia?
Yes. We have tutors that have experience working with dyslexic students both in the classroom and as parents. We also have tutors trained in the Wilson Reading System, a structured, multisensory reading and spelling program developed specifically for students with dyslexia. We use research-backed techniques to build foundational reading and spelling skills in a way that is proven to work for dyslexic learners. If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia — or if you suspect they may have it — we can match them with a tutor who has deep experience in this area.
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Do your tutors have experience with ADHD?
Absolutely. We specialize in supporting students with ADHD and understand the unique challenges they face in the classroom and at home. Our tutors are experienced in adapting their approach to keep students engaged, breaking work into manageable steps, and building the organizational habits that help students with ADHD stay on track. Academic support for students with ADHD often works best when paired with our executive functioning coaching, and we can coordinate both.
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What subjects and grade levels do you cover?
We support students from elementary school through college across all academic areas — reading comprehension, writing, math (including calculus), science, and more. Our tutors are matched to each student based on the subject matter and the student’s specific learning profile, so you are never getting a one-size-fits-all tutor.
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How is academic support at Dynamic Tutoring Solutions different from regular tutoring?
Most tutoring focuses on covering that week’s material. Our approach goes further: we build relationships with our students to understand their strengths and areas of opportunity. From there, we work to develop the underlying skills — organization, study strategies, motivation, and learning habits — that allow students to become more independent and confident over time.
We also use a team approach to devise what is best for each student by collaborating with parents, teachers, specialists, and most importantly, the student. Support is not just completing homework – strong communication so everyone on the team is working together to provide consistent support is key. -
What research-based programs do you use?
We use a combination of evidence-based programs tailored to each student’s needs. For reading and spelling, we often use the Wilson Reading System. For math, we use Making Math Real, a multisensory structured mathematics program. For writing, we use Step Up to Writing, a systematic approach that works for both struggling learners and advanced students. These are not generic methods — they are proven programs with strong research behind them.
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For how long will my child need tutoring?
All students are different so they progress at very different rates. We work with some students for the course of a school year and others for several years. The rate at which students progress depends on the cadence and frequency of tutoring, their commitment outside of tutoring, and their cognitive flexibility (or attitude), amongst other factors. We track students’ progress over time, but cannot reiterate enough that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Learning is not a fixed journey and it will evolve, as will students needs as work get more complex and demands change. For this reason, we intentionally take a long-term view, supporting students as their needs evolve through different grade levels and academic demands.
Ready to get started?
If your child is struggling with academics, executive functioning or learning differences, we can help build a clear plan forward. Contact us today to learn more.