Shelley

Certified Tutor

Like many, I have had a winding journey to becoming a Certified Orton-Gillingham Teacher.

I have always loved language and literacy. I earned my B.S. in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from Andrews University in Michigan and my M.S. in Speech Language Pathology from Loma Linda University in California. I specialized in treating language disorders in children and adults. My interests also found me traveling and exploring the world, reading and enjoying time with family and friends.

Fast forward a few years, add in a fun career, a husband, four children, an overly hyperactive labradoodle, a sweet cat, and lots of joy and that will give you a good picture of what my life looked like.

But as life does, it threw me an interesting detour. As my kids became school aged we realized that they were not responding to traditional teaching methods and were really struggling to learn to read. Countless hours of research, breaking out my old text books, late night/early morning web searches, and the suggestion by an amazing teacher that we test for dyslexia gave us the answers we were looking for, all four of my amazing children are dyslexic.

Armed with this knowledge and now knowing what my children needed, I was determined to expand my Speech and Language background into becoming an expert in Dyslexia. Knowing that Orton-Gillingham is the GOLD-STANDARD, evidenced based, program that works for dyslexic style learners I decided to become a certified Orton-Gillingham teacher.

I earned my Orton-Gillingham Teaching certification through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education and refocused my mission into helping my children and ALL students learn to read.

I have a very special place in my heart for kids with learning differences and dyslexia. I have now been privileged to work with many students, aged Pre-K through adult. Their perseverance and bravery often inspires me. I still tear up when I see a child who believed he would never read get to the point where he is reading just for fun! When students are given the right tools for learning, their confidence skyrockets. They realize their potential is limitless and their differences begin to be realized as strengths.

I would love to be a part of your reading journey.