A child who is behind in English can catch up with a tutor who identifies the main gap, whether reading, writing, vocabulary or grammar, and works on it step by step, combined with daily reading at home. English skills affect every subject, so early support pays off widely. This guide explains how to find the gaps, how tutoring helps and what progress to expect.

Written by Tutopiya, an online tutoring company that teaches English one-to-one across many curricula.

Key takeaways

• Identify the main gap: reading, writing, vocabulary or grammar.
• Daily reading at home doubles the effect of tutoring.
• Writing improves with planning, feedback and rewriting.
• Confidence matters as much as skills.

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Why do children fall behind in English?

Children fall behind in English for many reasons: limited reading at home, English as an additional language, a school move, or difficulty with reading and spelling. Identifying the cause helps choose the right support.

Gap	What you might notice
Reading fluency	Slow, effortful reading
Comprehension	Reads words but misses meaning
Vocabulary	Limited word choice
Writing structure	Disorganised or very short writing
Grammar and spelling	Frequent errors

How a tutor helps: step by step

1. Run a short assessment of reading and writing.
2. Identify the main gap.
3. Set one or two goals for the term.
4. Teach skills with examples and practice.
5. Give feedback and encourage rewriting.
6. Review progress with school work.

What should a good English tutor offer?

What to check	Why it matters
Diagnostic approach	Finds the main gap
Reading strategies	Fluency and comprehension
Writing feedback	Structure and accuracy
Encouraging manner	Confidence
Curriculum knowledge	Matches school

Browse our Cambridge IGCSE English tutors, PSLE English tutors and Cambridge IGCSE tutors.

What does a good catch-up lesson look like?

1. Reading a short text together.
2. Discussing meaning and new words.
3. A writing skill taught, such as paragraphing.
4. A short piece of writing.
5. Feedback and a rewrite.

Building reading habits

Daily reading for 15 to 20 minutes, with books your child enjoys, is the most powerful thing families can do. Audiobooks, graphic novels and non-fiction all count.

Improving writing

Writing improves when students plan, write, get feedback and rewrite. A tutor can model good paragraphs and build from sentences to full pieces.

How long does catching up take?

Most children make visible progress in a term with weekly lessons and daily reading. Larger gaps take longer.

English as an additional language

Children learning in English as an additional language may need vocabulary and grammar support alongside subject learning. See our guide to tutoring for EAL students.

How to tell tutoring is working

• reading more willingly;
• longer, better-organised writing;
• wider vocabulary;
• improving school reports.

How parents can help

• read together daily;
• talk about books and news;
• praise effort.

Questions to ask a tutor

1. How will you find my child’s main gap?
2. How will you improve reading and writing?
3. How will you show progress?

How much tutoring is enough?

One hour a week suits most children, plus daily reading at home.

Reading at home: what works

The National Literacy Trust’s advice for families emphasises reading for pleasure and talking about books together. Let your child choose books, read aloud to them even when they can read alone, and talk about what happens and why. Reading for enjoyment builds vocabulary and comprehension faster than extra worksheets.

A sample catch-up plan

Weeks	Focus
1	Reading and writing assessment
2–4	Reading strategies and vocabulary
5–7	Paragraph structure in writing
8–10	Longer writing with feedback and rewrites
11–12	Review and next goals

Talking to the school

Ask the teacher whether the main concern is reading, writing or spelling, and share it with the tutor. It helps lessons target the same goal as class support.

When to adjust the plan

If progress stalls after six to eight weeks, review the plan with the tutor. The barrier may be reading fluency rather than writing, or vocabulary rather than grammar. If reading remains very effortful, ask the school whether an assessment for a specific learning difficulty would help.

Spelling support

Spelling improves with short daily practice of word families and patterns, rather than long lists. A tutor can teach common patterns and keep a personal list of words your child often misspells, revisiting it every lesson.

How Tutopiya tutoring works

Tutopiya offers one-to-one online English tutoring for IGCSE, IB, A Level, Singapore and other curricula.

• A tutor matched to your child’s curriculum.
• A free first trial lesson, with no card needed.
• From 4 hours a month per subject. Each tutor sets their own rate, shown before booking.
• AI lesson analysis gives a summary, flashcards and quiz questions after each lesson.

See our online tuition page.

Common mistakes

• Only grammar worksheets → read and write for real.
• No rewriting → improve drafts.
• Forcing books → let your child choose.
• Waiting for reports → act early.

Talk to us

For related advice, see choosing an IGCSE English tutor and online tutoring for a child with dyslexia. Or contact our team.

Summary: to catch up in English, find the main gap, work on it step by step with feedback, and build a daily reading habit at home.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my child is behind in English? +

Signs include reading below classmates, avoiding reading, short or disorganised writing, limited vocabulary and teacher concerns in reports.

Can a tutor help a child catch up in English? +

Yes. A tutor can identify whether the main gap is reading, writing, vocabulary or grammar, and work on it step by step with regular feedback.

How long does catching up take? +

Reading and writing improve gradually. Many children show clear progress within a term of weekly lessons and daily reading at home.

What can parents do at home? +

Read together every day, talk about books and news, encourage writing for real purposes, and praise effort.

Does Tutopiya help children who are behind in English? +

Yes. Tutopiya offers one-to-one online English tutoring for many curricula. The first trial lesson is free with no card required.

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