Experienced, kind Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist delivering therapy worldwide. Also a speech-language therapist in South Africa and a qualified teacher with majors in English and L

Learn more about Lize

• When did you develop an interest in your subject and in private tutoring?

  I wanted a job that combined language, children and biology - so I became a speech language therapist! While I was helping kiddos with all kinds of issues during the past 20 years, I realised that I loved helping them read better. I also saw I was making the greatest impact there. So I want to help your child, too!

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I train your child to hear sounds in English much better, then to link those sounds to letters, and then to recognise words faster and faster in text. We also speak about what words mean, how stories work and how to read between the lines.

• Did you have any role models? Perhaps a teacher that inspired you?

  Oh yes! Louisa Moats, Tim Shanahan, Linda Farrell are a few names that pop up. Great teachers and researchers.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Great understanding of the subject, so that it can be explained in a simple way. And then patience to repeat and try again in a new way, until the student masters it!

• Could you share an anecdote related to your subject or your student days?

  I visited Denmark years ago. I remember staring at the signage at the airport. I was not able to read them because some of the letters look so different from the English letters. I had to catch a bus and I could not read where to get off. I thought to myself, 'Today I know what a struggling reader feels like every day of his life.' That was a very disturbing experience, and strengthened my resolve to help children read better.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general, an element of this particular subject, or something completely different?

  I believe reading well is the way to learn everything else. I am passionate about helping children read so they can become successful in other areas!

• What makes you a Superprof?

  I try again in different ways until my student understands.