About Me
I attended high school in the San Juan Unified District, college at American River College, and Sacramento State University for my undergraduate work. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1988. I met my husband in 1990, an Air Force pilot. We left Sacramento to live all over the United States and the world: Morocco, Ukraine, England, Alaska, Idaho, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas. We have four children. While living in Ukraine (2009-2012), my children attended a missionary kids' school in Kyiv, and I worked there. During our time in Kyiv, I worked as an ESL instructor, writing mentor, and Resource Room Coordinator, helping students close the gap in an otherwise advanced student body. Primarily from homeschooling my children and working with other homeschooled and public school children in areas of frustration, I have gained years of instructional experience. In the past 25 years, I have taught co-op classes in writing, literature, and study skills. I worked in DoDEA Europe and held positions as a Chapel Education Coordinator, Children's Church Director, and Middle School Intern. I completed my Master's in Education in 2012 at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA, the same year we returned to the Sacramento area. I served on the Board of Directors for Dyslexia Alliance, a nonprofit organization serving the greater Sacramento area with resources, education, and advocacy for dyslexia. I am board-certified as an educational therapist, recognized by the International Dyslexia Association as a dyslexia specialist, and a published author. I am currently serving on the Association of Educational Therapists executive board of directors.
Education and Professional Certifications
- Master of Education, Regent University, VA
- Board Certified Educational Therapist (BCET) #10237, Association of Educational Therapists
- Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS) #E181085, The Center for Effective Reading Instruction
Skills
I am trained and experienced in multiple Orton Gillingham programs and have experience administering various assessments, screening tools, and reading inventories, spanning grades K – adult. I have extensive hours instructing people with dyslexia one-to-one in reading, spelling, and writing. Regarding assessments, my experience in interpreting the results spans from more than twenty years of personal observation and study and academic courses and practicums, dyslexia training, and mentors. I have extensive experience writing individual assessment reports, coupled with expertise in methodology and instruction.
Training
- Orton Gillingham since 2003
- Institute of Excellence in Writing (IEW) since 2007
- Wilson Reading System
- Lindamood Bell's Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) and Visualizing and Verbalizing
- Certificates in the following courses from Dyslexia Training institute in San Diego: Dyslexia In-Depth Course: What is Dyslexia?, Reading Comprehension Course, and Overview of the Orton-Gillingham Approach
- Making Math Real: The 9 Lines Intensive
- Slingerland Screening Tests for Identifying Children and Adults with Specific Language Disability
- Certified in Barton Reading & Spelling at the Masters Level
Relevant Graduate Course Work
Advanced Educational Assessments
Assessing and Teaching Reading
Assessments for Educational Therapists: Practicum
Reading Assessment and Instruction: Practicum
Language Acquisition
Philosophy and Issues in Education
Principles of Educational Therapy
Psychology of Human Learning
Methodologies of Instruction
Multicultural Education
Techniques of Educational Therapy
Technology in Education
Understanding Learning Differences
Assessing and Teaching Reading
Assessments for Educational Therapists: Practicum
Reading Assessment and Instruction: Practicum
Language Acquisition
Philosophy and Issues in Education
Principles of Educational Therapy
Psychology of Human Learning
Methodologies of Instruction
Multicultural Education
Techniques of Educational Therapy
Technology in Education
Understanding Learning Differences
Professional Development - attendance
- Association of Educational Therapists (AET) San Francisco Workshops:
- Stregthening the Core of Social Cognition, Anna Vagin, and, Understanding the dyslexia in Dysgraphia, Dr. Sandra Elliot (2024)
- Fear No Art! Hands-On Art Workshop To Address What Gets In The Way Of Learning (2023)
- Reading, Writing and Learning in the Modern World, Dean Philips (2020)
- Slow Processing Speed and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Dr. Ellen Braaten (2018)
- Executive Functioning, Dr. G. McCloskey (2017)
- New Frontiers for ADHD, Dr. Stephen Hinshaw (2016)
- Association of Educational Therapists (AET) Annual Conferences:
- Virtual (2025) - Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: Rekindling Your Students’ Motivation
- Virtual (2024) - Me & We: The Power of Connection
- Virtual (2023) - Connecting Research to Practice: Expand your Toolkit
- Virtual (2022) - What Influences Learning? An Exploration of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Factors
- Virtual (2021) - Advocacy in Education: Supporting Unique Learners
- Virtual (2020) - The New Normal: Supporting our Clients and Ourselves
- San Francisco, CA (2019) - Motivation and Mindsets: Shaping Attitudes and Instruction
- San Francisco, CA (2016) - Cultivating Wisdom While Embracing Change
- International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Reading, Literacy & Learning Conferences:
- Virtual (2021)
- Virtual (2020)
- Dallas, TX (2015)
Speaking Engagements/Presentations
- What is Dyslexia? (2023), Trinity Christian School, Sacramento
- Adult Dyslexia (2021), Dallas Chapter of the International Dyslexia Association, via Zoom
- Executive Functioning in the Classrooms (2021), Cornerstone Christian School, Sacramento
- Dyslexia/Language Struggles (2019), South Sutter Charter School Family Conference, Sacramento
- Created in God's Image: Supporting the struggling learner (2019), Cornerstone Christian School, Sacramento
- Dyslexia (2017), Sacramento County Department of Education, Sacramento
- Introduction to Dyslexia (2017), California Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters, Sacramento
- Strategies and Curriculum (2017), Roseville City School District, Roseville
Professional Memberships
- Professional Member of the International Dyslexia Association
- Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS), certified by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction, #E181085
- Board Certified Member (BCET) of the Association of Educational Therapists, #10237
Volunteer Positions Held
President-Elect, Association of Educational Therapists (Oct 2024 - Oct 2026), USA
National Conference Co-chair, Association of Educational Therapists (2021 - 2025), USA
Study Group Leader and Supervising Mentor, Association of Educational Therapists (2019 - present), USA
Vice President and Treasurer, Dyslexia Alliance (2014-2017), Sacramento, California
Chair of Philosophy and Foundations, ACSI Re-Accreditation Steering Committee, Kyiv Christian Academy (2011-2012), Ukraine
President, Wayne Montessori, parent cooperative (1999-2000), Goldsboro, North Carolina
National Conference Co-chair, Association of Educational Therapists (2021 - 2025), USA
Study Group Leader and Supervising Mentor, Association of Educational Therapists (2019 - present), USA
Vice President and Treasurer, Dyslexia Alliance (2014-2017), Sacramento, California
Chair of Philosophy and Foundations, ACSI Re-Accreditation Steering Committee, Kyiv Christian Academy (2011-2012), Ukraine
President, Wayne Montessori, parent cooperative (1999-2000), Goldsboro, North Carolina
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