Your child may understand A-Level Chemistry when they talk it through, then lose marks when the exam asks for a tightly worded explanation, a multi-step calculation, or a practical evaluation. Dyslexia often shows up as slow reading, mixed-up terminology, and answers that miss the mark scheme pattern, especially on 4–6 mark questions where sequencing and phrasing matter.
A good hiring test is simple. In the first four sessions, check whether the tutor has a repeatable system for translating “exam-language” into “Chemistry-logic”. The biggest gains often come from reducing reading and writing friction: decoding questions, organising working, and retrieving the right terms under timed pressure, rather than re-teaching the whole specification. If you are looking for with dyslexia tutoring, the sections below focus on what you can observe quickly.
The real problem: A-Level Chemistry can become a reading-and-writing test (and how dyslexia shows up in marks)
A-Level Chemistry papers reward precise interpretation and precise expression. Dyslexic students often know the concept but lose marks because they misread a stem, miss a qualifier like “explain why” versus “state”, or write points in an order that does not map onto the mark scheme. This is common in organic mechanisms, equilibrium and energetics explanations, and practical write-ups where the examiner wants a specific set of evaluation points.
Look for patterns in your child’s work: copied values wrong from a table, units missing, steps merged together, or a correct idea written too vaguely for marks. Dyslexia can also increase similar-term collisions: electrophile versus nucleophile, oxidation versus reduction, and Ka/Kp/Kc expressions. Under timed conditions these errors snowball because the student spends extra time reading and then rushes the writing. The tutoring goal is to reduce that processing load with routines that make the exam feel less like a reading test.
A quick decision framework: content gaps vs exam-language friction vs organisation (work out what you’re actually hiring for)
Before you hire, separate three problems that look similar on a grade report. First: content gaps, where your child cannot explain the underlying Chemistry even verbally. Second: exam-language friction, where they can explain it out loud but cannot decode the question or shape the answer into mark scheme language. Third: organisation and checking, where they know what to do but lose marks through transcription, sequencing, or messy working.
A tutor who only re-teaches the topic often helps with content gaps but leaves the other two untouched. For dyslexia, exam-language friction and organisation are often the bigger levers: a consistent decode routine, a standard calculation layout, and templates for 4–6 mark answers. When you speak to tutors, ask how they decide which category an error belongs to and what they do differently for each. You are hiring for a process, not just subject knowledge.
What to look for in a dyslexia-aware A-Level Chemistry tutor (beyond ‘patient’ and ‘experienced’)
Start with Chemistry competence. They should be comfortable with your exam board (AQA, OCR, Edexcel) and with the style of questions your child faces. Then look for dyslexia-aware practice that is Chemistry-specific. Do they build a personalised glossary of easily-confused terms and symbols and revisit it through retrieval practice? Do they teach minimal pairs like oxidation/reduction or electrophile/nucleophile by forcing a quick contrast in meaning, conditions, and typical examples?
Next, check whether they teach writing as a skill. A strong tutor can show how a 6-mark explanation is planned: identify the command word, choose the correct number of points, and use the required key terms. They should also reduce reading load without lowering challenge: chunking long stems, rewriting the ask in simpler words, and using short, frequent question sets so your child practises decoding repeatedly. If your child also takes Physics, it can help to align routines across subjects: A-Level Physics tutoring (for students who also take Physics alongside Chemistry).
What the First 4 Tutoring Sessions Should Look Like
Session 1 should feel like a short baseline rather than a long assessment. The tutor can use a small set of past-paper questions across a few topics to spot whether errors come from misreading, missing knowledge, or poor organisation. They should let your child talk through their thinking, then capture patterns in an error log: “misread command word”, “copied value wrong”, “definition too vague”, or “mechanism arrow wrong direction”.
Session 2 should introduce a repeatable routine for decoding questions and reduce the first obvious friction points. That might include a method for handling long stems, a consistent way to extract data from tables, and a layout for calculations that separates steps and units. Session 3 should turn mark schemes into templates for 4–6 mark answers and practical evaluation points, with scaffolds such as planning frames and sentence starters that are gradually reduced. Session 4 should act as a checkpoint: a timed mini-set that mirrors exam conditions (including any access arrangements where appropriate), followed by a clear plan for independent revision and what will be practised next.
Session 1: baseline using a short past-paper set + error log (not a long ‘assessment’)
A useful first session uses real exam questions early, because that is where dyslexia-related friction shows up. The tutor might choose 6–10 short items: one calculation, one data-handling question, one mechanism step, and one 4–6 marker. They should ask your child to read the question aloud or paraphrase it before answering, then note where meaning is lost: misread variables, skipped lines, or confusion between similar terms.
The output you want is an error log that separates “didn’t know” from “didn’t decode” and “didn’t organise”. For example: “Kc expression correct but substituted wrong numbers” is different from “doesn’t know what Kc is”. You should leave session 1 with two or three priority targets, not a vague plan to cover more content.
Session 2: building a repeatable question-decoding routine for command words, data and long stems
Session 2 is where you can test the article’s angle directly: does the tutor have a translation system from exam-language to Chemistry-logic? A strong approach is a short routine your child can repeat: circle the command word, underline the Chemistry topic cues, box the data, and rewrite the ask in their own words in one line. For long stems, the tutor can teach stop points: after each sentence, ask “what is this telling me?” rather than reading to the end and forgetting the start.
This session should also tackle data-handling friction. The tutor can model how to copy values safely: point to the row and column, write units immediately, and do a quick reasonableness check before moving on. If your child mixes up symbols, the tutor can introduce a symbols-first habit: write the equation or expression before substituting numbers. The goal is fewer unforced errors, not faster speed on day one.
Session 3: structured written answers: turning mark schemes into templates without memorising paragraphs
In session 3, the tutor should show how to turn mark schemes into reusable structures. For a 6-mark explanation, that might mean: define the key term, state the principle, apply it to the context, then link to the outcome. For practical evaluation, it might mean: identify a limitation, explain the direction of effect, and propose a specific improvement. The tutor can use one point per line planning so your child can see whether they have enough distinct marks.
You are looking for controlled language support. Instead of correcting every spelling error, the tutor should prioritise a short list of high-value Chemistry terms that often carry marks, such as “electronegativity”, “oxidation state”, “dynamic equilibrium”, or “nucleophilic substitution”. They can also teach your child to use the question wording as a scaffold. If the question says “use Le Chatelier’s principle”, the answer should explicitly use that phrase.
Session 4: timed practice with scaffolds removed gradually + plan for independent revision
Session 4 should include a timed mini-set that is slightly uncomfortable but manageable. The tutor can start with scaffolds in place: the decode routine written at the top of the page, a calculation layout template, and a 6-mark plan frame. Then they should remove one scaffold at a time: for example, your child writes the decode steps from memory, or plans the 6-marker without sentence starters.
The checkpoint is practical: compare the new work to session 1. Are there fewer misreads? Is the working clearer? Are 4–6 mark answers closer to the mark scheme pattern? The tutor should also set an independent revision plan that fits dyslexia: short retrieval blocks, targeted question sets, and spaced review of the personalised glossary. If you want clarity on how weekly tutoring is typically organised, link expectations early: how tutoring works and what to expect week to week.
Questions to Ask a Tutor
- “How do you diagnose whether the issue is Chemistry knowledge or exam-language/processing?”: This matters because dyslexia often hides behind ‘I don’t get it’; you want a tutor who separates concept gaps from misreading, sequencing and written-expression issues. A strong answer sounds like: they use short past-paper tasks, ask the student to paraphrase the question, and categorise errors in an error log before deciding what to teach.
- “Can you show me your routine for decoding a long A-Level Chemistry question?”: You’re listening for a step-by-step method (highlighting variables, circling command words, rewriting the ask) that your child can repeat independently under pressure. A strong answer sounds like: a simple routine they can write on the page, plus practice on several questions in one session.
- “How do you teach 4–6 mark answers and practical evaluation points?”: These are where dyslexic students can lose marks through structure; a good tutor uses planning frames and mark-scheme patterns, then fades support. A strong answer sounds like: one-point-per-line planning, common mark scheme phrases, and timed practice with feedback on missing points.
- “How will you adapt calculations and working so it’s clear and checkable?”: Chemistry maths is multi-step; you want consistent layouts, unit checks, and self-check habits to reduce transcription and sequencing errors. A strong answer sounds like: a standard layout, units on every line, and a final reasonableness check.
- “What will you do in the first month, and what evidence will we see?”: A strong tutor can name tangible outputs (error log, personalised glossary, answer templates, timed mini-sets) rather than promising a grade jump. A strong answer sounds like: specific weekly outputs and how they will be shared with you.
- “How do you work with access arrangements and school expectations?”: This matters because tutoring should align with how your child will be assessed (extra time, reader, rest breaks) and with the exam board style they’re sitting. A strong answer sounds like: they ask what is approved or being trialled, then mirror it in timed practice without making every session feel like an exam.
Red Flags to Watch For
- They insist dyslexia is mainly solved by ‘working harder’ or generic study tips: This suggests they won’t address processing load, question decoding, or written-structure problems that drive lost marks. Why this matters: your child may spend more hours and still lose marks for the same avoidable reasons.
- They avoid past-paper questions early on: If sessions stay in teaching mode only, you may not discover whether the student can translate understanding into marks. Why this matters: the exam is the constraint, so you need evidence that routines work on real questions.
- They correct spelling/handwriting constantly during problem-solving: Over-correction can slow thinking and increase anxiety; the priority is accurate Chemistry and exam structure, with targeted support for key terms. Why this matters: confidence drops when every line is interrupted.
- They can’t explain how they teach mechanisms, definitions and similar terms without rote memorisation: Dyslexic students often need minimal pairs (spot-the-difference) and retrieval practice designed to prevent confusions. Why this matters: similar-term mix-ups are predictable and should be prevented with a system.
- They don’t use any system for tracking errors: Without an error log (misread, wrong concept, wrong method, careless), the same mistakes repeat and progress feels random. Why this matters: you cannot tell whether tutoring is fixing the root cause.
- They promise quick grade guarantees: This is a sign they’re not focusing on controllable behaviours (process, routines, outputs) and may set unrealistic expectations. Why this matters: you want measurable process improvements.
How tutoring should handle key A-Level Chemistry question types for dyslexic learners (calculations, mechanisms, practicals, evaluation)
For calculations, the priority is a layout that prevents sequencing errors. A tutor can teach your child to write the formula first, list known values with units, then substitute carefully. They can also add a sanity check habit: does the answer have the right unit and order of magnitude?
For mechanisms and definitions, the tutor should reduce symbol confusion and term collisions. That can look like: a one-page mechanism checklist (curly arrow starts at an electron pair, charges shown, reagents above/below the arrow), plus quick spot-the-difference drills between similar reactions. For practical and evaluation questions, the tutor should teach a repeatable structure: control variables, measurement precision, repeats, and specific improvements linked to the method.
What Good Progress Looks Like in the First Month
- Your child can follow a consistent decode routine before answering (e.g., identifies command word, extracts data, rewrites the question in their own words): This reduces misreads and improves accuracy without needing more content teaching.
- Fewer lost marks from structure on 4–6 markers (clear plan, correct number of points, uses key terms appropriately): You should see answers that look more like the mark scheme pattern.
- Cleaner, more checkable working in calculations (units written, steps separated, final answer sensible): This targets sequencing and transcription errors.
- A growing personalised glossary of easily-confused terms/symbols with spot-the-difference cues: This shows the tutor is preventing repeat confusions.
- Reduced avoidance: they attempt past-paper sets with less prompting and can explain what went wrong using the error categories.
- A realistic independent revision plan your child can execute (short retrieval blocks, targeted question sets, spaced review): Evidence is a weekly plan plus completed work.
How to set up support around tutoring: school, access arrangements, and home routines that don’t cause burnout
Ask the school what is in place and what is being trialled: extra time, a reader, a word processor, rest breaks, or separate room. Then ask the tutor to mirror those conditions for some timed tasks so your child practises in the same format they will sit in. Not every session needs to be timed: you want a mix of skill-building (decode routines, templates) and performance practice (timed mini-sets).
At home, keep revision narrow and repeatable. Dense textbooks often slow dyslexic students down, so use the tutor’s outputs: a personalised glossary, short retrieval questions, and targeted past-paper sets. If your child is spending hours rewriting notes, ask the tutor to replace that with mark scheme-driven answer practice and spaced review of the specific terms they confuse.
Next steps: how to book an intro and what to send the tutor beforehand (spec, recent papers, teacher feedback)
Before the first lesson, send the tutor the exam board and specification, your child’s latest mock or topic test papers, and any teacher comments that mention exam technique or “not enough detail”. If access arrangements are being discussed, share what has been agreed and what is still unclear. It also helps to send one example of a good verbal explanation but low written mark so the tutor can see the translation gap.
When you book a free introduction, ask the tutor to outline what they would do in the first four sessions and what evidence you will see. You are looking for a plan that reduces reading and writing friction: a decode routine, structured 6-mark answers, checkable calculations, and a small set of repeatable revision habits.