Lighthouse Literacy, LLC

The parent contacts me for an free consultation.  We discuss the difficulties their child is experiencing and what the parent is looking for.  I direct them to my website for further information.  If they choose to begin therapy, they complete the enrollment form on my website.  From there, the initial meeting is scheduled.  Here, I conduct a few assessments and get to meet their child.  I draw up a therapy plan and we usually begin therapy the following week!

I have a Master of Arts degree in Counseling & Human Services.  I worked with troubled youth in a psychiatric faciility.  I have also worked as a coodinator for a youth mentorship organization.  

I completed my literacy training with Lexercise and am certified as a structured literacy dyslexia specialist by the International Dyslexia Association's certification body, the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (C-SLDS).  Structured literacy therapy goes beyond typical OG tutoring as it is explicit, sequential, cumulative, and multisensory while focusing on phonics, comprehension, phonemic awareness, fluency, and vocabulary.  It is very customizable and comprehensive.

I have also completed the training from Reading Simplified, a speech-to-print, approach.

I operate from an automatic, pre-paid monthly tuition model.  I meet with my students twice/week with approximately 8 sessions/month.  My rate is a very affordable $345/month.

I grew up in a home where illiteracy bore a well of shame and that made everyday functioning burdensome.  I started learning everything I could about dyslexia when my daughter was experiencing difficulty in school.  I enlisted the help of a specialized tutor and learned how to implement her curriculum into my homeschooling situation.  After my children got older, I decided to help other children and began my training to become to become a dyslexia specialist.

I have worked with a variety of students from kindergarten through 12th grade.  All of them struggled with phonics.  Some of my students also needed assistance with comprehsnion strategies and composition skills.  Many of my students struggle with self-esteem and anxiety issues.  Because of my background in mental health counseling, I offer a listening ear to discuss my students' "lows and glows" from the previous week and help in developing some basic coping skills.

I had a young girl who came to me really disliking reading and the fact that her friends were beginning to discuss books.  She felt left out.  I worked with her for several months and by the end of our therapy, she was beaming with pride in her ability to read long words and contribute to conversations about books with her friends!  This made my heart happy!!!

I would advise a parent/student to ask about a tutor's background and training, and ensure they are certified.  I would ask if they are willing to include other elements of literacy besides phonics in the sessions.  It would be important for me that the sessions would include games to make it as fun as possible.  I would want to know if any practice is going to be assigned and how often they will assess my child.

Possible questions:

Where did you receive your training?  Describe what it entailed.  Are you certified?  By whom?

Besides phonics, what assistance can you offer me?

Will we play games in our sessions?

What kind of practice will I need to do?

How often will you assess my progress?