Reading and Spelling Help in Haddonfield, NJ
We help bright kids and teens throughout the South Jersey area build strong reading, spelling, and literacy skills through structured, evidence-based instruction.
Targeted Support for Reading and Spelling in South Jersey
Is something not clicking as it should?
Is homework taking hours?
Is everyone frustrated?
We understand. You are not alone.
Whether you’re concerned with their letter learning, slow/effortful reading, spelling, or reading comprehension, we have the experience and tools to help.
Support for Children and Teens Who Are Struggling with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Other Literacy Challenges
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Understand
Reading and spelling are advanced forms of language. Letters are speech sounds put down on paper.That’s why speech-language pathologists are in the best position to help children struggling with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other issues affecting reading, spelling, comprehension, and writing.
We specialize in helping children and teens understand how sounds, letters, and meanings work together.
What We’ll Do
We’ll dive deep beneath the surface and figure out why your child is struggling.Then we’ll create a plan that is unique to them to strengthen foundational and weak skills.
Instead of blindly following a general program designed for the masses, we’ll use systematic, explicit, multisensory, and prescriptive programs and methods to meet their specific needs.
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Our services might look like tutoring on the surface — but they’re so much more.
We provide highly individualized and targeted speech-language-literacy therapy sessions.
Because we grow cognitive and linguistic skills — we don’t just run programs — our services may be covered by your out-of-network benefits.
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Schedule a Free Consultation
Let’s take a moment to make sure our services are a good fit for their needs.Review our Policies & Paperwork
If we are a good fit, we’ll explain our policies and determine if an evaluation is needed.Choose a Standing Appointment Time
We’ll find a weekly time you can rely on for consistent and lasting progress. We’ll begin with testing (if needed) and seamlessly transition into growing new skills.
Why Families in Haddonfield, NJ Choose Us
Over 20 years of experience in speech, language, and literacy support that goes well beyond tutoring
Our dedication to modern, evidence-based speech-to-print programs like SPELL-Links
Teletherapy services are available throughout NJ, PA & GA.
"This place is the best that there could be when it comes to speech therapy! Ellen is so wonderful, has a wealth of experience and knowledge and so many fun apps and games and learning tools..." — Tiffany
"My child has been seeing Ms. McSpadden for a year now. She is wonderful with him and always takes the time to listen to both of our questions and work those into the sessions." — Tracy
“Ellen is the best speech therapist we have been to. My 9 year old son has made tremendous progress and really enjoys seeing her. We have been to four other speech therapists and no one can compare..." — Lindsey
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Knowing that roughly 20% of the population struggles with dyslexia, it’s a good idea to watch out for the signs.
Early signs can appear as early as preschool and may include:
Difficulty with language learning and speech clarity
Difficulty learning letter names and sounds
Trouble rhyming or identifying beginning sounds
Strong storytelling skills but difficulty matching sounds to letters
In older children, signs often look like:
Difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words
Slow, effortful reading
Persistent spelling errors
Strong verbal skills but weak decoding
Reading that relies on memorization rather than sounding out
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that affects how the brain processes written words. It is not caused by low intelligence — and it is not a motivation issue.
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Yes. Spoken and written language both rely on the brain’s ability to hear, recognize, organize, and mentally manipulate speech sounds — this is phonological awareness.
Children who have difficulty clearly producing speech sounds often struggle with phonological awareness.
Phonological awareness (which includes phonemic awareness) is our ability to think about the sounds and syllables that make up words. It underlies all reading and spelling skills. Unfortunately, it’s often worked on a little, but then brushed aside.
However, because we understand speech sounds at a whole other level, we incorporate phonological awareness throughout lessons for maximum benefit, faster progress, and exceptional academic success. That’s the speech-language-literacy advantage.
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All structured literacy programs help children break written words into letters and sounds. They do this in a clear and systematic way.
But, there are different structured literacy programs out there and they vary in approach and what they include.
A language-based approach includes the fundamental speech sound and oral language skills that underlie and support all reading and writing skills. Some programs skip this step.
Goals include:
— True word reading, not guessing
— Accurate spelling
— Reading fluency
— Reading comprehension
— Written composition“If you’re not reading & writing language, what are you reading & writing?” — Ellen McSpadden, MA, CCC-SLP, CAS
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Orton-Gillingham (OG) approaches are often cited as the gold standard in literacy instruction. The model has been around for 100 years — and that is part of the problem.
In short, OG programs introduce letters and teach the sounds they represent. That seems good, but our spelling system is messy — and starting with letters usually means you’re starting with a child’s weakness.
Luckily, modern technological advances and the research that followed gave us a much better understanding of how the brain actually learns to read. As a result, modern speech-to-print and linguistic phonics approaches were born.
Speech-to-print methods start with the spoken sound and teach how they’re represented by letters. Because the brain is naturally wired to process information that way, it’s often an easier, more efficient method of teaching.
Linguistic phonics is a specific type of speech-to-print approach that encompasses the logic behind when various spellings are used for a specific sound.
Because speech-to-print and linguistic phonics approaches are based on how the brain actually learns to read and spell — and because they fully integrate phonological awareness, spelling, metacognition, and executive functions into every lesson — the research has shown that learning is easier, faster, and more applicable to real-life literacy experiences. Kids simply do better.
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Yes! If a child is struggling to understand spoken language — especially longer or more complex explanations or discussions — they will almost certainly struggle with written language.
Therefore, attention to things like multiple-meaning words, suffixes, and complex sentences — in both spoken and written language — is a critical component in quality reading and spelling instruction.
Common Questions About Dyslexia and Help for Reading and Spelling
The road to reading & writing is long,
but it doesn’t need to be bumpy.
Schedule a free reading and spelling consultation to smooth the road ahead.
Parent Resources for Reading and Literacy Development
Understanding why reading is difficult can help families choose the right kind of support. If your child is bright but struggling with reading, these articles explain the underlying skills involved in literacy and the approaches that often help children become more confident readers.
Why Bright Kids Sometimes Struggle With Reading — And What Actually Helps
Learn how reading depends on decoding, spelling, and language comprehension, and why intelligent students can still experience reading difficulties.Is It Normal for a 7-Year-Old to Struggle With Reading?
Explains what typical reading development looks like around age seven and how to recognize when a child may benefit from additional reading support.Signs of Dyslexia in Bright Children
Describes common signs of dyslexia that can appear even in bright, capable children and how language-based reading support can help.Six Signs Your Child May Need Reading Help (Even If They’re Bright)
Highlights six common signs that a child may benefit from additional reading support, even when they are intelligent and doing well in other areas.Why Your Child Can’t Sound Out Words When Reading
Explains why some bright children struggle to sound out words when reading and how targeted instruction can strengthen decoding skills.What Is Structured Literacy? A Parent-Friendly Guide on Why It Helps Many Struggling Readers
A parent-friendly explanation of structured literacy and why explicit reading instruction helps struggling readers.Speech-to-Print vs Traditional Phonics: Two Ways Reading Is Taught
Explore two phonics frameworks and how they help children connect spoken language to written words.
Reading Help for Kids in Haddonfield, NJ and South Jersey
Located in Haddonfield, NJ, we serve families throughout Camden County, Burlington County, and Gloucester County, including those in Cinnaminson, Cherry Hill, Deptford, Evesham, Marlton, Voorhees, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Philadelphia, PA and other surrounding South Jersey communities.
Families often come to Cheerful Chatter when their child is bright but reading, spelling, or literacy development still feels harder than it should.