Google review, Brooklyn LettersBrooklyn Letters

1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn

4.9 56 reviews

  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Emily Matles ★★★★★ a week ago
    We would highly recommend Ally! Our son always asks about her, so very thankful to Brooklyn Letters for introducing us.
    ~ Emily, mom of Brooklyn 2 year old
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters T Ainsley ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Natalie Levon ★★★★★ 4 months ago
    Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Colin Peters ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Lil Amatore ★★★★★ 7 months ago
    Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Heather Liljengren ★★★★★ a year ago
    We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Brigid Bower ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Duygu Başaran ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Brooklyn Letters was recommended to me through a friend's speech therapist friend in NJ. The articulation evaluation for my daughter went well. We were pleased with Kristin's services.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Kelley Peters-Patel ★★★★★ a year ago
    Melissa was wonderful. Our daughter warmed to her immediately and by the time she left, had already started "practicing" some of the techniques Melissa had shown her. I will not hesitate at all to reach out to Melissa again, should … More the need arise.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters R Elmore ★★★★★ a year ago
    Aileen was INCREDIBLY helpful to us, both in assessing possible origins of my grandson's food aversions, as well as informing us of various available interventions to consider.
    I can’t thank you and Brooklyn Letters enough for connecting
    … More us with Aileen. In all our feeding therapy journey we have not gotten anything near the kind of benefit that we did from her. Her knowledge, professionalism, and responsiveness have put us on the path of progress with my grandson and has also made us feel genuinely well cared for.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Christine Weiher ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    We were amazed with Allison! She met my son at 2 1/2 years old, not speaking much at all, and over a computer, and she was able to develop a bond and friendship, so much so that he would look forward to his weekly computer time with Allison. … More I was not sure how the speech therapy would go- but we are so happy that we tried it out and continued. It allowed my son to gain confidence in his speech, make a new friend :), and also give him the skills and a bit of understanding of how to shape his mouth or where to place his tongue to make the proper sounds. We were extremely happy with Allison- she was fantastic to work with.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Andrea Saffady ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    My sessions with Karen have been extremely helpful. My speech has improved tremendously. In fact, I just finished 2 hours of conducting interviews with a consulting client via MS Teams and I have an upcoming conference call. Both my … More neurologist and neurosurgeon remarked about how good my speech is. Much of the day it is perfect, although I still have some rough spots when I get tired or speak too quickly. One of my granddaughters is a speech pathology student at Ithaca College. She sat in on 2 sessions while she was home for winter break, and she was very impressed with Karen.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Jacob B ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We were delighted with Christie. First, and most importantly, our son made great strides under her guidance. So great, that we felt he no longer needed help! She was incredibly patient and kind with him and our son really responded to … More her. Christie was also great with me and my wife. She provided thorough and informative updates on our son's progress and which exercises she was using with him, so we could reinforce what she was teaching him. All in all, we had a fabulous experience with Christie and would highly recommend her.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Jessica C ★★★★★ a year ago
    Theo was wonderful and his work with my son has produced some progress. I am grateful for the services Theo provided.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Melissa Stevens ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Highly recommend Jill. She is a total pleasure to work with. After a few months working with Jill, my son is reading above grade level and LOVES to read. Mission accomplished!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Demet Evren ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Paige was great and we had been really happy with her. I would highly recommend her! I recommend Brooklyn Letters to whomever asks for a speech therapist.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Jeizel Rosenthal ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Isabel was WONDERFUL and our son absolutely adored her, and he is making great progress with his reading and writing.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Lesley Duval ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Theo was fantastic with our 4yo son. We were very worried that his progress would fall off when we had to switch to remote sessions, but Theo kept our son happy and engaged through the screen. Highly highly recommend!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Samantha Packard ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    We've been working with Theo from Brooklyn Letters for close to 4 months now and the results are apparent; our daughter has vastly improved her speech in a relatively short amount of time. We make "Theo Day" a celebration … More in our house with pancakes for breakfast, and the enthusiasm is matched in the sessions. Theo is fun, patient, professional, and caring, and he gives us the tools to take the lessons beyond the session. Thank you Theo, and Brooklyn Letters, for helping our daughter express herself.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Travis Ricca ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    I worked with Alina to enhance my pronunciation, tone, and pacing while communicating socially and in a work environment. She was great to work with and clear about goals and learning objectives. The improvement from day 1 has been tremendous! … More
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Enrico Bermudez ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Cathy has been excellent with us and our son. We will sorely miss her. He has improved significantly with Cathy’s help. Cathy was a true partner with us, especially as we pursued additional help through our son’s school system.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Kayne Elisabeth Wilk ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We really loved working with Alina, she is so fantastic. Patient yet firm, and determined the best course of action very clearly and succintly for us. And it all transitioned so well to Zoom as well. I will definitely be back in touch for … More services for our other child after summer break!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Jen S ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Vera was amazing! My 11 yo daughter made progress so quickly and really looked forward to her sessions. She was kept motivated and engaged.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters susie tofte ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    The work that Allison P. did with our daughter over the years has been invaluable to us. Our daughter had such a good relationship with Allison, and it allowed them to work really well together - even remotely these past 6 months. This … More year, Allison went above and beyond by helping us throughout the neuropsych eval we did, trying to re-open our daughter's IEP at her school, and eventually landing her at our chosen school. She was in contact with our daughter's teachers, with the neuropsychologist, and made herself available as a reference to speak on behalf of our daughter's learning differences.
    Allison stopped by our house last week to give our daughter cupcakes and say goodbye, and I literally cried with appreciation for what an amazing speech therapist she has been. She has been our daughter's biggest champion. The new families that she will work with this year are lucky to have her.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Alicia Perez-Katz ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Sydney was great! Our son was sad to end his sessions with her, which says a lot. We appreciated her honest assessment of his skill level, and he now has materials to self monitor and practice. Thank you!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Kristin Ames ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Our experience with Theo was terrific. Theo was great with my son. He developed a positive relationship with him based on sincerity, respect, trust and a deep personal connection. In their lessons, Theo was encouraging, creative and kind. … More He helped our son understand how to differentiate the sounds he made when he spoke, and gave him great exercises to practice every week between lessons. Our son was sorry to have the lessons come to an end, but recognized that Theo had helped him as much as possible and it was time for him to stop. Theo explained to him (and us) how to keep working to get the last 5%, and encouraged him to keep working on the exercises on his own. I have recommended Theo to another parent who noticed my son's improvement and inquired for her own son.
    We are all grateful to have gotten to know Theo, and we greatly appreciate all the work he did to help our son.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Aisha Holder ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    "I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Michelle Macroy-Higgins. We are extremely pleased with her work with our daughter. I was so grateful for my daughter to have a speech therapist who is a researcher (specialty in late … More talkers), graduate professor and practitioner. Her expertise was clearly evident in our conversations and work with our daughter. She was very responsive to my questions and often sent articles and other materials about language development that I found helpful. Thankfully, my daughter's speech improved tremendously. Michelle developed such a warm relationship with my daughter. My daughter was always excited to see Michelle and would greet her at the door with a big hug. Lastly, I would add that Michelle always demonstrated empathy with me as a mother who was initially worried about her daughter's language development. I could go on and on about how pleased we were with Michelle's work."
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Andrea Peartree ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Theo is a wonderful Clinton Hill speech therapist. We were really pleased with him. Our son showed drastic improvement, not only in his speech but in his confidence.
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters mario costa ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Alexa has been an enthusiastic, reliable, well prepared and caring teacher for our 6 year old daughter. She has been able to improve and increase our daughter's confidence lesson by lesson with patience and competence; through varied … More and productive didactic practice. Alexa has engaged our daughter in several activities that always kept her motivated and eager to learn literacy. My wife and I, both of us are educators, feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe Alexa's pedagogical skills. Alexa has had a big impact on our daughter literacy growth. Thank you Brooklyn Letters!
  • Google review, Brooklyn Letters Lily Alt ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We were absolutely DELIGHTED with Marsha's services. She was wonderful. We found her to be kind, fun, engaging, very knowledgeable. She provided us with clear instructions and additional written handouts each week. She engaged our … More son with different techniques and toys, and showed us how to use her techniques when we were interacting with him. I actually just texted her on Saturday - Our son finally said "more" - one of the target words we had been working on with her. It was a total joy to hear, and I had to share it with her - she wrote back immediately to congratulate us. I am so appreciative of her expertise, and wish we could have seen her for longer. I recommended her to another family in our neighborhood who is looking for a speech therapist.

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STATEN ISLAND, NYC READING WRITING TUTORS SPECIALISTS

Literacy Specialists
As Featured In:
Serving you since 2010! We are caring Literacy Specialists traveling to you! In-home, at-school, remote Staten Island, NYC metro area private pay literacy tutoring for school-aged students. We work with students of all ages, in private and public schools teaching decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
Serving you since 2010! We are caring Literacy Specialists traveling to you! In-home, at-school, remote Staten Island, NYC metro area private pay literacy tutoring for school-aged students. We work with students of all ages, in private and public schools teaching decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and reading comprehension skills.
WE TRAVEL TO THE FOLLOWING STATEN ISLAND NEIGHBORHOODS:
Annadale Arden Heights Arlington Arrochar Bay Terrace Bloomfield Brighton Heights Bulls Head Castleton Corners Charleston Chelsea Clifton Concord Dongan Hills Egbertville Elm Park Eltingville Emerson Hill Fort Wadsworth Graniteville Grant City Grasmere Great Kills Greenridge Grymes Hill Hamilton Park Heartland Village Huguenot Lighthouse Hill Livingston Manor Heights Jefferson Mariners Harbor Meiers Corners Midland Beach New Brighton New Dorp New Springville Oakwood Old Place Old Town Pleasant Plains Port Ivory Port Richmond Prince's Bay Randall Manor Richmond Valley Richmondtown Rosebank Rossville Saint George Sandy Ground Shore Acres Silver Lake South Beach Stapleton Stapleton Heights Sunnyside Todt Hill Tompkinsville Tottenville Tottenville Beach Travis Ward Hill West New Brighton Westerleigh Willowbrook Woodrow
Training/Certifications
Training/Certifications

Our hourly rate includes both travel and instructional time (you only pay for instructional time!).

Staten Island Literacy rates

  • $145-$180 Per Hour

  • $120-$155 for 45 minutes

  • $100-$120 for 30 minutes (online only)

Literacy Specialists

Our hourly rate includes both travel and instructional time (you only pay for instructional time!).

Staten Island Literacy rates

  • $145-$180 Per Hour

  • $120-$155 for 45 minutes

  • $100-$120 for 30 minutes (online only)

Literacy Specialists
Get Started Now!Get Started Now!

The Five Pillars of Reading

Literacy Specialists

Just like a house needs strong support and a foundation, developing literacy skills in young learners requires the Five Pillars of Reading. Learn how early literacy benefits from both print-to-speech and speech-to-print instruction. When literacy instruction includes all important aspects of literacy and the students are actively engaged in learning literacy, it’s called structured literacy. To learn more about these structures, the National Reading Panel recommends that the best approach to reading instruction include the following pillars:

Backed by studies and scientific research, these five pillars make up the essential building blocks of reading. And by combining these techniques, teachers and parents can effectively introduce the concept of reading and language. Discover the importance of phonological processing in learning to read and write. Whether you are a young learner or an adult looking to improve your reading and writing abilities, these 12 must-try literacy apps of 2023 help you achieve your goals.

Here is a closer look at how the Five Pillars of Reading work to ensure successful reading instruction:

 

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness refers to the knowledge and understanding that words are built from and can be broken apart into smaller segments of a sound called phonemes. Phonemic awareness is one’s ability to hear, recognize, and manipulate sounds heard in words- think of it as the ears to brain connection. 

Phonemic awareness can be taught even before a child learns to read or identify printed letters. When babies are born, they are processing phonemes when parents speak and sing to their bundle of joy. In the English language, phonemic awareness means being able to identify approximately 44 phonemes. Additionally, teaching letter sounds with letter names is an effective way for students to grasp the concept of phonemes. Learn what is phonology.

 

Phonics

Whereas phonemic awareness refers to one’s ability to recognize sounds or phonemes in words, phonics mastery means understanding that letters (graphemes or printed letters) of the alphabet represent sounds (phonemes)- think of it as the ears, eyes, and brain connection. Learn what are phonological awareness and phonemic awareness.

A child who has mastered phonics can sound out new or unfamiliar words on their own. The child is “cracking the code” and is receiving feedback by listening to oneself sound out words. 

Teaching phonics is all about establishing the relationship between sounds and printed letters or printed letter combinations. Starting with the printed letter-sound correspondence, a child then learns how to match sounds to letters and uses this relationship to understand printed words. 

 

Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to one’s understanding of words, including their definitions and context. Vocabulary is broken up into oral (speaking), understanding (listening), and print (reading vocabulary).

Needless to say, vocabulary is crucial in strengthening reading comprehension and fluency. In most instances, poor vocabulary can limit and interrupt a child’s learning and reading experience. And while it can grow naturally from daily reading and conversations, it is just as important to explicitly teach and expand vocabulary.

Strategies in teaching vocabulary can include word mapping (graphic display of words/concept relationships), word substitutions, semantic relationships (how words are related), acting out meanings, and focusing on word structure (root words and their derivations).

Literacy Specialists

Fluency

Learners achieve fluency when they recognize and read words with accuracy, intonation, fluidity, and speed, whether while reading aloud or silently to oneself. Hence, fluent readers are able to read automatically without needing to pause to decode words or look up definitions.

Fluency plays a key role in comprehension and is essential in keeping young learners motivated. When children are reading fluently, it frees up mental resources to allow them to improve their comprehension of what they are reading. 

When developing reading fluency, it is crucial to provide a child with frequent oral reading opportunities and to monitor progress. This involves reading out loud while being guided and receiving feedback from an adult. It is important to provide the student with opportunities to self-correct. This combination of consistent practice and regular feedback is critical in promoting fluency.

Discover the important differences between a ‘speech-to-print’ approach to literacy instruction and teaching based on ‘print-to-speech.’

 

Comprehension

The ultimate goal for literacy is to comprehend well what one is reading.  Reading comprehension enables a child to predict outcomes, evaluate characters, deduce, and make connections to real-world events. 

A child’s comprehension skills can begin to develop before becoming an independent reader. One way to do this is by reading to a child and discussing the story’s main idea, characters, and setting. Explicit teaching, modeling, and guided practice of comprehension skills are also crucial. This is especially true for students whose reading comprehension skills lag behind their peers.

Discover some online phonics materials for struggling readers that can help them develop the five pillars of reading. Read Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong (host: Emily Hanford), and watch Blame It On Gutenberg, a powerful film “about the evolving science of dyslexia, dueling theories of how to teach reading, and one family’s landmark struggle with an unresponsive school system.“

Read this article to learn more about dyslexia, recognize the signs, impact, support, and accommodations, how to identify the indicators, and get a diagnosis, post-diagnosis steps, approaches, assistance, how to boost self-worth, and many more!

Learning his or her ABCs is your child’s first step towards mastering reading and writing. But sometimes, teaching such an important skill can be confusing for parents. Do you start with the letter names or the letter sounds first? Is there a right way to teach a child the alphabet? Click here to read what speech-language pathologist Dr. Jan Wasowicz has to say on our blog!

Meet Our CEO
Presented at:

Kaitlyn R.

Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6)

Kaitlyn R.

Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6)
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Kaitlyn is a childhood (Grade 1- Grade 5) special education teacher at a public school in Brooklyn. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) from The College of Staten Island. She continued at The College of Staten Island to obtain a Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6). Kaitlyn recently completed the CITE program through The College of Saint Rose to obtain advanced certifications in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership. Kaitlyn has six years of experience working with students with diverse backgrounds. She has experience working with students with ADHD, autism, speech and language impairments, and dyslexia. She prides herself in differentiating her instruction to meet her students’ unique needs. She has experience teaching the Common Core Standards and newly adapted Next Generation Learning Standards. Kaitlyn incorporates the Wilson/Fundation program in her teaching and applies the Orton-Gillingham approach. She is currently teaching in a 4th grade ICT setting as the special education teacher and also has experience as a 1st grade special education teacher. Kaitlyn worked at A+ Academy as a 4th and 5th grade test prep teacher specializing in math instruction and summer school for the Department of Education during the summers of 2018-2019.

Kaitlyn works with a student-centered approach celebrating their accomplishments and building their self-confidence. Kaitlyn teaches with the use of manipulatives and scaffolds. She specializes in teaching test preparation skills in reading, writing, and math. Kaitlyn provides support to students with phonics instruction, decoding, developing comprehension skills using a variety of sources. She has experience using the programs Go-Math, NY Engage, Envisions, and Everyday Math. She teaches strategies for students to apply classroom learning to real life.

Kaitlyn teaches that communication is key for forming meaningful relationships with teachers, parents, and service providers in order to support student’s wellbeing and development. Every student is a success story!

TYPE OF SERVICES: Initial Reading Evaluation, Individualized reading, writing, and math intervention, Multisensory Reading, Executive Functioning
EXPERTISE: Working with students with disabilities and building their executive functioning, improving  phonemic awareness, decoding skills, and comprehension, improving understanding of math concepts using manipulatives and real world connections
AGES: Kindergarten-6th Grade
TEST PREP: Grades 3-5 ELA and Math State Tests

Natalie L.

Orton-Gillingham Trained

Natalie L.

Orton-Gillingham Trained
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Natalie Lombardo is a New York State Licensed Literacy Specialist (ages birth-grade 12) and Elementary Education Teacher. She holds a Bachelors of Science Degree and Masters in Literacy from St. John’s University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has training from Columbia Teachers College Program as well as Orton-Gillingham.

Natalie has worked with students for over 16 years and has a passion for working with students struggling to read. She has provided instruction using the Orton-Gillingham Approach, Wilson Fundations Program, Learning Without Tears, Fountas & Pinnell, Journey’s Literacy Program, Go Math and Everyday Math. She is a part of her school’s instructional team and is involved in curriculum planning and writing.

Natalie believes that ALL children can learn and uses a multisensory approach and individualized instruction to ensure success. She uses her training, evaluation of the student’s needs and experience to develop a curriculum tailored to each child. She keeps her students engaged by using multisensory materials and student interest. Natalie also specializes in Executive Function Coaching. She assists students to focus, develop organizational skills, plan and prioritize, and time management. She helps students set individual learning goals and works with the parents to help her students achieve these goals and develop a love for learning.

TYPE OF SERVICES: Initial reading assessment, reading intervention, ELA instruction (phonemic awareness, decoding, comprehension, fluency & writing), test prep, elementary school math instruction & intervention, ELA & math enrichment
EXPERTISE: Working with children who have difficulty with decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, students with dyslexia, math intervention & enrichment
AGES: Pre school through Grade 6

Calais C.

Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6, Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology

Calais C.

Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6, Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Calais is a Certified Teacher. Calais studied at St. John’s University where she received a dual Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6, as well as her Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology. Calais has worked with students in public schools, home school settings, private tutoring, virtual/in person tutoring, 1:1 and group instruction.

Calais has experience working with general education students and students with disabilities, from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Calais has experience working with students with learning differences in reading, writing, math, attention, and behavioral disabilities, ADHD, ADD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Calais has experience working with Students with Disabilities as well as writing and implementing Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and their IEP goals. Calais has experience teaching students in the subject areas of reading, writing, math, science, social studies, homework help, test prep, social skills, organization, and behavior management.

Calais provides SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services) to students that require this service as per their IEP. She provides SETSS legally mandated services for students with disabilities that are necessary to support their progress in schools or at home.

In literacy, Calais teaches phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency skills. For students beginning pre-literacy skills and in kindergarten through second grade, Calais focuses on phonemic awareness to recognize and manipulate sounds and then work on phonics where they will recognize the phonemes in words and sound out words. Calais also focuses on students’ independent and guided reading levels using leveled/emergent readers, where she will assess the students reading level and comprehension skills. In addition, Calais works with the students on age appropriate sight words and vocabulary words. As the students get older from third through fifth grades, Calais focuses more on the fluency skills associated with their independent reading levels. Students focus on their ability to recognize and read words appropriately and accurately based on their grade level. Fluency is important to the student’s comprehension skills. It is important for students to understand what they are reading in order to have the most meaningful reading experience.

In math, Calais teaches students math skills such as counting, addition, subtraction, comparing numbers, multiplication, division, fractions, time, money, measurement, geometry, solving word problems, NYS Math Test Prep skills grades 3-5, and Math IEP Goals. Calais works on the math skills using interactive technology, hands on materials and manipulatives to enhance the students learning and understanding.  

Calais sets goals for each student to achieve and measure their progress over time. Calais offers interactive technology programs for students to learn in fun and engaging ways. Calais works with and around the students interests to make their learning meaningful to them.

Calais enjoys helping students engage and learn in fun and creative ways. Calais loves seeing her students learn and grow and reach their fullest potential. Calais believes that every child is unique and learns in their own way. She believes that it is her job to find out how to make learning fun, interesting, engaging and successful for each individual student.

TYPE OF SERVICES:  Individual, group
EXPERTISE: General Education Students, Students with Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD, ADHD, Learning Disabilities
AGES: Kindergarten through Sixth grade

Megan S.

NYS Certified Educator with Master’s in Special Education/Childhood Education & Certification in
Orton-Gillingham; Director of Roots Learning Center

Megan S.

NYS Certified Educator with Master’s in Special Education/Childhood Education & Certification in
Orton-Gillingham; Director of Roots Learning Center
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Megan is a New York State certified teacher with Professional Licenses in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and Special Education (all grades). Megan is a certified teacher in the Orton-Gillingham approach used to teach reading to students with reading difficulties. Her education includes a M.A. from Fordham University in Elementary Education and Special Education, and a B.A. from Boston College in Elementary Education, Special Education, Human Development and Applied Psychology. Megan was a Division I Athlete at Boston College for 4 years.

With over 10 years of teaching experience, Megan has taught in various educational settings across Manhattan, meeting wonderfully diverse students. Her experience includes teaching general education students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. Most recently as a Head Special Education Teacher, Megan created and implemented individualized instruction across academic domains to meet the specific needs of students with a variety of learning and physical disabilities, and learning differences including students diagnosed with dyslexia, speech and language disabilities, social pragmatic language disorder, ADHD, learning disorders, dysgraphia, developmental coordination disorder, mood disorders, autism, and students with hearing impairments.

Megan believes in and gratefully witnesses how all students have the potential to grow and succeed both in and out of the classroom. She understands the importance of getting to know a student as a whole, while building off a student’s strengths, honoring their developing skills or challenges, and including their interests within instruction. Megan believes using this understanding to develop an individualized program for a student, while providing a warm, comfortable and fun environment is essential in supporting a student’s academic success. Megan focuses on positive encouragement as a tool to help students develop confidence and build or continue their love for learning.

TYPES OF SERVICES: Orton-Gillingham individualized reading and writing instruction/remediation; individualized math instruction
EXPERTISE: Orton-Gillingham approach; reading/writing/math remediation; differentiated instruction; meeting the needs of students with learning differences and disabilities
AGES: Pre-K through 5th Grade

Christine G.

Handwriting Specialist and an Occupational Therapist

Christine G.

Handwriting Specialist and an Occupational Therapist
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Christine is a Handwriting Specialist and an Occupational Therapist who is passionate about teaching the principles and mechanics of handwriting to children of all ages and learning styles. Christine graduated with a masters in occupational therapy from Long Island University in 2014. She currently works in the Department of Education in NYC assisting students with needs in the areas of handwriting, sensory processing, fine motor, and visual perceptual skills. Christine has also worked in a sensory clinic with children ages 2 to 18 addressing several areas of need and helping children reach their goals.

Christine is trained in using the Handwriting without Tears program and applies aspects of TV Teacher and the Zaner-Bloser Method to create individualized learning plans for each student based on their skill level and learning styles.

Inspired by her occupational therapy background, Christine implements sensory modalities to teach pre-writing skills and letter formation in a fun-filled environment, keeping the children engaged and interested. Additionally, Christine uses her expertise to improve children’s pencil grasp through working on fine motor skills and hand manipulation skills

Christine believes in the importance of having a good posture as it directly impacts learning and handwriting. Christine incorporates posture improving exercises and makes seating recommendations for students as needed during her sessions.

Christine has a long experience in working with children with various learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder, and visual motor deficits. She uses different learning techniques to provide children with the needed adaptations based on their learning disability.

Christine also has a long experience in working with children with special needs such as Autism Spectrum disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and other developmental and intellectual disorders. Christine is familiar with using augmented communication devices with non-verbal children. She is trained in the Keyboarding without Tears program and uses various typing programs to teach typing skills to students who are unable to write or form letters. Once children are ready, Christine introduces cursive writing as studies show it improves spelling, fluidity, and speed.

Agata M.

M.S. ED., NYS Certified Early Childhood Education & Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2)

Agata M.

M.S. ED., NYS Certified Early Childhood Education & Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2)
Literacy Specialists
Literacy Specialists

Prior to graduating with a Dual Masters degree in Early Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University, Agata gained valuable experience as a co-teacher in a Pre-K classroom. Additionally, she provided tutoring services for elementary-aged students at the Polish School, an institution she herself attended during her childhood. Her tenure at Teachers College exposed her to diverse teaching styles, learning methodologies, and classroom environments, all of which have significantly shaped her own pedagogical approach to nurturing young minds.

Subsequently, Agata has been dedicated to delivering Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT), Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS), and Early Intervention Services across various educational settings, including schools, daycares, and private homes in Staten Island. In these sessions, her primary focus revolves around holistic child development, encompassing the domains of social-emotional growth, cognitive advancement, communicative proficiency, self-help/adaptive skills, and both gross and fine motor development.

Agata boasts certification in Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, a specialized field that she has found exceptionally effective in enhancing children’s communication skills, fostering concentration and attention during activities, and improving their performance in everyday tasks. She places great emphasis on employing a multisensory approach to stimulate self-directed learning, cultivate problem-solving abilities, nurture critical thinking skills, and promote emotional regulation. Furthermore, she tailors her instructional methods to cater to the unique learning styles of each individual child, ensuring optimal progress.

Agata possesses substantial expertise in working with children across a spectrum of diverse needs and challenges, including those on the Autism Spectrum. Her experience extends to children diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, processing disorders, hyper and hypo sensory sensitivities, neurological delays, and a range of health-related issues. This broad and comprehensive exposure has equipped her with a profound understanding of the unique requirements and tailored approaches essential for effectively supporting children with a wide array of developmental and learning diversities.

Agata strongly believes in the significance of collaboration with parents, teachers, and other service providers to formulate effective learning strategies and goals, both within and outside of the classroom setting. With a wealth of experience spanning over a decade in early childhood education, Agata exudes confidence in her ability to facilitate your child’s journey towards reaching their full potential.

TYPE OF SERVICES: Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy, Individual therapy, Small Group (2-3 children), Educational Evaluations (DAYC-2)
EXPERTISE: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD/ADD, Processing Disorders, Hypo & Hyper Sensory Sensitivities
LANGUAGES: Polish and English
AGES: Birth through Grade 5

FREE CONSULTATION!!!
Call: (347) 394-3485,
Text: (917) 426-8880
Email: [email protected]
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