This article describes a customized early reading intervention for a Chinese first grader at risk for failing to learn to read. Building upon observational notes, artifacts, diagnostic teaching, information about classroom performance, and a battery of tests, our goal is to provide insights into ways to develop and implement a one-on-one tutoring program with nonalphabetic readers. The child's progress demonstrated that one-on-one tutoring can appreciably raise the proficiency of a struggling Chinese reader, suggesting that one-on-one tutoring might be worthwhile for the lowest-achieving students learning to read a nonalphabetic writing system. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)