Serving Teachers of Struggling Readers and Writers
Supporting Struggling Readers and Milking Goats
Directly out of grad school, my first teaching job was a part-time, tier 2 reading intervention teacher. I milked goats, took care of a garden, tutored privately and with our local Native American tribe also. This first teaching assignment stuck me in a corner of the copy room, called me an Intervention Teacher and gave me a one-size-fits-all boxed program, a popular blanket program for tier 2 reading intervention. I was to teach several grades of struggling readers and writers to read, write (and do algebra!).
Perhaps just like you, I had no training on reading intervention for dyslexia, and honestly, I didn’t know what it was. But suddenly I was responsible for kids who were quite possibly in the estimated 20% of the population with dyslexia. I jumped in and soon realized the tier 2 reading program wasn’t cutting it (not to mention my algebra skills!)
Fast forward 16 years later, with 13 years in the classroom as a reading intervention teacher serving struggling readers and writers in tier 2 and tier 3, a private practice in intensive reading intervention, some VERY kind mentors, lots of research, training, implementation, trial and error and I am currently a Literacy Coach. My teachers and I focus on implementing structured literacy most effectively using differentiated instruction, the science of reading, quality reading programs and reading intervention resources. Additionally, I have private practice focused on serving kids with dyslexia.
I empower reading intervention teachers and tutors to teach their struggling readers and writers using the science of reading and structured literacy. I’ll provide you with quality information, quality reading intervention ideas and reading intervention resources based on the science of reading. I don’t believe that PD comes through Tik Tok and I strive to help you become a confident and effective life changer through the support and guidance you deserve as you create a brighter future.
Speaking of empowering you, the reading intervention teacher
(with one of the most important jobs I can imagine), have you gotten your free guide to student motivation yet?
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Reading Intervention Training
I am a shameless consumer of all things structured literacy and the science of reading. I have had lots of formal training and have taken countless others to better understand the characteristics of struggling readers and best serve them. I’m formally trained in the Orton Gillingham approach (first level), Lindamood Bell’s three programs (Seeing Stars, LiPs and Visualizing and Verbalizing), several Project Read strands (Phonics 1 & 2, Sentence Structure, Story Form, Report Form) as well as Structured Word Inquiry, Spell LINKS, Reading Simplified and most recently, LETRS. I have attended the International Dyslexia Association’s conference, am a current member of the organization as well as the Reading League. I continue to keep up with my training and current research in order to better teach my struggling readers and writers and help all educators of struggling readers and writers to do the same.
Literacy Coach
I have served as a Literacy Coach for our County’s Reading Interventionist Certification Course and currently work for local schools helping teachers to understand and implement structured literacy, provide quality reading intervention resources and better understand the characteristics of struggling readers. I develop and deliver trainings on structured literacy and continue to coach teachers through the process of implementation. We meet regularly throughout the year and work on all facets of instruction, including the nitty-gritty of how-to, formative ongoing assessment and record-keeping, student motivation, the practical room and materials set up and communication with the team. I also give parent workshops locally. My goal is to help all educators be confident life changers and to gain the independence, the knowledge and the tools they need to help their struggling readers and writers succeed.
I’d love to help you
Download your Free Guide and Must Have Tools for student motivation now
to maximize your oh-so- critical
and ever-so-short intervention time today!
So Much More Than Teaching Struggling Readers and Writers
I am the proud mamma of an exuberantly curious boy who is in constant motion. I am honored to be able to teach this wonderful human to learn many exciting things, among them reading and writing. Being a Mom has changed my perspective on so many things and given me a new sense of the importance of how we affect one another with all that we do. We enjoy lots of adventures and imaginative play (think: pirate visits, surfing, hiking and lots of graphic novels.) I am a multigenerational resident of a beautiful California landscape and the partner of another. We love all things outdoors, you can find us in the garden, the tide pools or the mountains if I’m not here, or with my teachers and students. I love all of what I do and am so happy to be of service.
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