In short,

• Masters in the Arts of Instruction

• Reading Certification provided by the state of Minnesota. 

A more complete story - 

In 1998 I began advocating for dyslexia students by being a guest speaking at universities around my area. I began tutoring dyslexic students in 2002 once I was trained in the i.t.a. phonics literacy approach. In 2006, I received my reading teacher certification and completed my Masters in the Art of Instruction. My masters program was based in the science of reading and certified me to administer not only screening tests, but diagnostic tests as well. Diagnostic tests are the ones that pinpoint the areas of struggle to customize targeted interventions. 

Other reading programs that are phonics based, only teach how to address letter sound, blending, and spelling. My expertise incorporates those, but also specialized fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. 

I spent the next 15 years teaching reading, English, and Social Studies to general education and special education students. 

In 2007, I built a structured literacy program for first generation immigrant students learning to read and write English. From 2009-2012, I built and instructed an intervention reading program using structured literacy foundations for 9-12 grade students.

After that, I moved onto teaching social studies subjects from 2012-2015. It was in 2015 I went back to building and instructing reading intervention programs and training tutors in structured literacy to build a team of community tutors. 

I finished my career in public schools by working as an instructional coach and strategic planning consultant. However, I felt the pull back to working with dyslexia students as this is a central part of my identity.

For phonics, I use a structured literacy phonics approach. Similar programs are Orten Gillingham and Wilson Reading. In regard to vocabulary and fluency, I use Repeated Oral Assisted Reading, morphology word analysis, and best practices from the What Works Clearinghouse. 

It is important to note that I am certified as a reading teacher, not just one reading approach or program. The reading certification is a higher degree of expertise than certifications in phonics programs. I am qualified to analyze programs for their strengths and weaknesses to augment/supplement them to fit each student's specific needs. 

Yes, upon request.

We will establish a baseline from the first day using a variety of tests depending upon the tutoring requested (e.g. vocabulary, comprehension, phonics, fluency, etc). Each tutoring session will involve a summary of skills and performance. Every two weeks, we will perform assessments like a CBA as a monitoring tool.

This all depends on the client’s needs and capacity. For the most successful reading tutoring impacts, I recommend 3 times a week, but that is demanding and difficult to execute for many. Therefore, we will customize an approach that works for every client’s schedule and capacity.

Yes

As a reading specialist, I do far more than phonics instruction. The diagnostic tests we cover the first few sessions will detail specific needs and target interventions. No lesson is a scripted lesson from a box curriculum.

There are a variety of assessments depending on if we are assessing for phonemic awareness or oral and receptive language. Here are a few assessments we run among many depending on the student needs.

ORI-6 - Qualitative Reading Inventory

AAT-R - Phonological Awareness 

Yopper-Singer - Phonemic Awareness

TOWL-3 - Test of Early Writing Language

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-5)

Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-3)

For younger students, after a skill is taught, the lesson involves play based approaches where they get to use the skill in multiple contexts. For older students, the lesson is based around engaging in their interests and showing application to their academic success.