Bring your books and your patience. One great trick in tutoring slow readers is asking them about their likes and dislikes. If a little girl is fascinated by fairies, get some easy books about fairies. If a boy likes trains, get some train books. Like adults, children can focus better on what intrigues them.
Teach them phonetics. Learning the basic sounds such as a soft 'c' versus the 'ch' sound is key at the beginning. Many resources are available in the Education section of your local bookstore, or check the Resources section below for a link to a helpful website.
Dr. Seuss-it. Many people have been taught to read with the Dr. Seuss books, and there's no reason to stop now. "Go, Dog. Go!" is a great one, especially for boys or adventurous girls who fancy the thought of climbing a tree house overflowing with dogs of all shapes and sizes (see Resources below).
Start one page at a time. Don't ever let the child feel bad about his or her slow reading by forcing them to do more and at a faster rate than they are capable of. But do have goals, such as one page the first session, two pages the next and so forth.
When the child has finally completed his or her first book with you, have her write a short report, or if she is very young, ask her to draw what it was about. You can even try a variation of both.
Note that reading and writing go hand in hand, so once the reading is accelerating, start asking the child to write at least one sentence at the end of every tutoring session. This could be a sentence with, say, several 'q' words to emphasize the uniqueness of the letter and the requirement for 'u' to succeed it.
Talk to the parents about their impressions. It's a difficult position for a tutor sometimes to have to suggest remedial reading at school or being tested for dyslexia or other learning disorders. Tread lightly here. It's better to let the parent know honestly how well or not the child is doing and let them draw their own conclusions. One thing you could do, though, if you think the child really is dyslexic, is ask if they want to hear your opinion. Chances are the parents will want to hear what you have to say.
Don't ever give up on the child. When you are ready to say goodbye to him or her, make sure it ends on a positive note. It's not uncommon to forge relationships with your students, but don't ever let it go too far. It's up to you if you want to accept little gifts.