Frequently Asked Questions

My name is Mindy VanZuiden, owner of Tutorburg. I have taught in the public school system for nearly 20 years. My Undergraduate Degree is in K-12 Physical Education, my Master’s Degree is in Educational Leadership, I am a Certified Barton Tutor at the beginning level, and I am a Certified Dyslexia Specialist. In 2018 when I decided to leave the full-time classroom to homeschool my children I didn’t know much about dyslexia. As I became more familiar with homeschooling, I attended training on dyslexia and my jaw hit the ground. How had I missed this in myself and my children and what was I going to do with this new knowledge? Thankfully that training included an introduction to the Barton Reading and Spelling System and I was hooked. Since then, I have brought my own daughter through the Barton Reading and Spelling System (all ten levels) and I am working through the program with my son. My passion was ignited and the work continues. I opened Tutorburg in 2019 to share the gift of learning to read with everyone. My hope is that we can provide encouragement to those struggling to find their way in a world full of print.

I have trained in the following programs:

  • Dyslexia Specialist Certification through the University of Florida and the UFLI program
  • Certified Barton Tutor at the Beginning Level  
  • Foundation in Sounds
  • Handwriting Without Tears 
  • LiPS by Lindamood Bell
  • Registered Provider of IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
  • Dyslexia Simulations by Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley
  • Dyslexia Advocate Certificate through the Dyslexia Training Institute

Facts & Questions

How long has Tutorburg been serving students? 

  • Mindy began Tutorburg at the beginning of 2018-2019 school year.

How many people work for Tutorburg?

  • Tutorburg is proud to have a dedicated and growing team of six tutors:
    • Steph Jones, who joined in 2020 and continues to contract with Tutorburg from time to time.
    • Kati Spore, who joined in 2021.
    • Angie Baughman, who came on board in 2023 after her son became Tutorburg’s first Barton graduate.
    • Jaime Edwards and Randall Gingerich, who both joined in 2024.
    • Grace Atkinson, who joined in 2025.
  • We also have two certified advocates on staff:
    • Mindy VanZuiden (founder of Tutorburg) and Megan Hunemuller (joined in 2025), both certified by the Dyslexia Training Institute.

What services does Tutorburg provide?

  • The Tutorburg P.A.C.T. – Training Today, Preparing for Tomorrow
    • Professional Develoment
      • Dyslexia Simulations
      • What is Dyslexia
      • Homeschooling w/ Dyslexia
      • Build Your Own P.D.
    • Advocacy
      • Initial Special Education Guidance
      • IEP’s
      • 504’s
    • Consulting
      • Consulting
      • Homeschool Support
      • Handwriting Assessments
      • Literacy Assessments
    • Tutoring
      • Barton Reading and Spelling System
      • Foundation in Sounds
      • LiPS by Lindamood Bell
      • Handwriting Without Tears
      • IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
      • My Multiplication Magic
      • Art Services

How many students do you serve each year?  

  • Tutorburg serves students in a one-on-one setting for most of the services so often we only have about 20-30 students but when we are hosting group classes our numbers can jump to over 50 students. Each tutor has limited availability. We announce openings via Facebook whenever we are welcoming new students. We often have a wait list but whenever possible we hire to support more students or refer to other Barton tutors.

What is your focus during a tutoring session (homework help, remediation)?

  • Our main focus is the Barton Reading and Spelling System and Foundation in Sounds whenever needed. My Multiplication focuses on the multiplication or division facts. LiPS by Lindamood Bell is a very intensive phoneme sequencing program for reading spelling and speech that focuses on the development of an oral-motor, visual, and auditory feedback system that enables all students to prove the identity, number, and order of phonemes in syllables and words. It is more basic and more extensive than traditional phonics programs. IEW is a composition and grammar writing group class that runs during the school year, and Handwriting Without Tears is a penmanship focused course.

Barton Students: What expectations do you have for the parents?  Are we expected to work with our son/daughter at home?

  • Parents are encouraged to do the following (as recommended by Susan Barton):
    • Use only one reading intervention program
    • Increase the frequency of tutoring during the summer
    • Fight for classroom accommodations (we can help if need be!)
    • Read to your child every night
    • Avoid handwriting by using technology
    • Find and develop their strengths and talents
    • Educate yourself on dyslexia

What communication and interaction do you have with the student’s school?

  • Because our tutors specialize in tutoring children, we do not attend IEP or 504 meetings and we do not communicate with a student’s school. Tutorburg does offer Educational Advocacy as a separate service and can communicate with schools on behalf of students being served by Tutorburg. Advocates are available to attend IEP or 504 meetings with parents and make recommendations on IEP goals or 504 accommodations. 

Barton Students: How often do you provide feedback to parents on the child’s progress?  What types of feedback do you provide?

  • Feedback is provided weekly through a parent communication google document. Parents can see their student’s progress and ask questions as the form is interactive. Tutors will be available for consultations at no charge for items that take less than 10 minutes. If more time is needed, please set up an appointment at the current hourly rate.

Barton Students: What is your hourly fee?  What happens if my child has to miss a session?

  • Barton tutoring is set up for monthly tuition, so equal payments of $400 per month are made at the beginning of each month. Math Tutoring can purchase a punch card for $240 (buy 4 sessions for $50 each and get the 5th session for $40). All other services are priced separately. Please see the service listing for more information.

What is your Cancellation Policy?

  • There are no refunds for missed appointments. If a session is canceled by the tutor, it will be rescheduled. If a cancellation is made by parent the session is considered missed and no make-up will be provided.

Why is your Cancellation Policy so strict?

  • Tutoring times are non-durable goods — meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:00 is gone, I can’t turn around and sell it again. The only way I would be able to provide a make-up session later that day or week would be if I were to give up time that I had scheduled for my own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable. I can’t expect any of my employees to be thrilled if I were to announce to them that during their shift from 2:00pm-8:00pm this evening, they couldn’t work from 4:00 to 5:00, but would have to come in on Thursday, their day off, for an hour to make up for it, because there will be work for them then.

Barton Students: How many sessions per week do you recommend?

  • It is recommended by Susan Barton that there are no fewer than 2 sessions per week. More sessions are offered based on tutor availability.  Discounts are offered for those booking 4 or more sessions per week or those with two or more students enrolled.

Do you offer free consultations?

  • Yes, we would be happy to offer a free consultation and are looking forward to meeting you in person or virtually on zoom.

Where are you located?

  • Tutorburg’s main location is at 600 Court Street Suite 3 & 4 in Williamsburg, Iowa
  • Jaime works from her home in Suffolk, Virginia, offering virtual tutoring.  
  • Megan works from her home in Waverly, Iowa, offering both in person and virtual advocacy services.
  • Everyone on staff offers virtual tutoring and can serve students across all time zones.