The Recap Room

A little bit about me... I first became interested in education when my children were in elementary school and I was tutoring kids in the summer. I got my start at Stevens Brook School, working as a math teacher aide in a sixth grade classroom. I became hooked on learning. Thankfully, I had an encouraging principal and worked my way up from teacher aide to teacher assistant in the resource room, to special education teacher, to classroom teacher. During the 14 years I spent in MSAD #61, I learned all I could about learning, especially in reading and math.

With the exception of two years, I spent the next 22 years working in MSAD #17. I spent the last 16 of those years working with the students at the high school. My focus and passion was almost always on learning more about literacy. How does the brain learn to read, and why is it so hard for some kids? I found some answers. And now I am starting a new adventure, and a new business, but still working with kids!

Feel free to email me [email protected] or text me 1.434.409.8380 and we can set up a time to talk!

Many of today's students struggle with thinking mathematically. The goals of each learning experience, both reading and math, are to create confidence and independence. Struggling students are often heard to ask, “Is that right?” Students gain confidence when they are coached based on their personal needs at that moment, then given opportunities to practice on real text or problems until they can read or problem solve independently and automatically. Responsive coaching lets students know exactly what they are doing that is working, so they can continue to do that. It also shows them how to take the next step in their learning.

Here are the reading options. You might notice that responsive coached reading mentions groups of students. Although all students won't have the same goals, they all benefit from the coaching their peers receive.

Sometimes grouping works better for parents or students. Parents may ask other parents if they would like to form a group and then sign up as a group. Or parents can ask if there is already a group available for their child to join.

Because coaching is individualized, students in a group do not need to be at the same “level,” but they should be close in grade and the group must all begin a learning experience at the same time.

Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to about your child. Here are some of the non-instructional services I offer.

Here are the services and pricing I offer.

Another school year is ending. How did your child do?

❐ Does your child read for at least 10 minutes per grade level, every day at home?

❐ Does your child struggle with reading, spelling, or mathematics?

❐ Does your child have trouble starting, or finishing, homework?

At some point in their educational journey, most students will encounter difficulty. Many of these difficulties are caused by gaps in learning. Gaps in learning happen for many reasons: illness, family vacations, family issues, classroom pacing, pandemics…. Often, we don’t realize that a child experienced a lost learning opportunity. It might have happened years earlier.

Gaps can interfere with a child’s future learning, in both big and small ways. In The Recap Room, students engage in authentic learning tasks that reveal their gaps and allow reteaching to take place in real time.