My passion as an educator is deeply rooted in my personal history

Like many of my students, I also struggled to learn to read and spell. Knowing first-hand the frustration and anxiety this can cause, I set out on a career path to help struggling students succeed.  Being dyslexic provides me with a unique perspective on the challenges that students face. It enables me to provide students with the tools they need to succeed in a supportive environment where they feel included, understood and free to learn.


My Credentials

I received my formal training as an Orton Gillingham instructor in Toronto and Denver. In recent years, I have also been teaching Structured Word Inquiry.  I have received extensive training from Professor Peter Bowers (WordWorks Literacy Centre), Michel Rameau (Real Spelling), Rebecca Loveless, Jennifer Petrich and Sara Lee (Literacy Doctor) and Douglas Harper (Online Etymology Dictionary). I also co-presented a workshop on Structured Word Inquiry at The Bishop Strachan School in Toronto and presented at the Wordtorque conference on how to use visuals to teach word inquiry.


Tutoring and Training

I have worked as a literacy instructor in private practice for over 15 years. I have also worked with students experiencing learning challenges at a private school, Upper Canada College (Toronto), where I have also provided mentoring and training to teaching staff. I have also continued to provide coaching to staff at Bishop Strachan (Toronto) on developing linguistic strategies to teach reading and spelling.


My Teaching Philosophy

It is important to me, and to my practice, that students feel valued and are comfortable in exploring how language works. I invite my students to become scientists of language, in a safe and supportive learning environment that stimulates their curiosity and builds their self-confidence. While mastery of reading and spelling is the aim of my teaching, it is not the end of what a student will be able to learn: it is just the beginning.  

“Building a deep and consistent understanding of how the English language works through exploration and discovery”

What students can achieve

  • Reliable tools for reading, spelling and understanding vocabulary

  • Ability to decode words across all subjects

  • Reading and spelling skills at or above grade level

  • Confidence in themselves and their learning potential

what educators can achieve

  • A deep and consistent understanding of how the English language works

  • A toolkit of resources and skills to help their students learn language through inquiry, discovery and curiosity

  • Confidence when responding to student and parent questions about their educational approach