About Me

After nearly a decade of teaching in the public school system, I have embarked on a new journey—one rooted in my true passion: helping children learn how to read. It is my sincere hope and prayer that through this work, I can reach more students who face challenges in literacy. Whether it's moving from learning to read to reading to learn, or strengthening phonics and spelling, my program is thoughtfully designed to meet the unique needs of every individual learner.

I currently serve the North Metro Atlanta area, with a focus on the North Cobb region. I offer both in-person and virtual tutoring sessions from my home during after-school hours.

My journey into the Science of Reading began as an undergraduate at Kennesaw State University, where I first encountered the National Reading Panel’s report on the essential components of literacy instruction. This foundational research helped me realize the importance of not just teaching students how to read, but understanding how they internalize the reading process.

This realization led me to deeper study during my master’s program at Liberty University, where I examined the long-standing debate between phonics and whole language instruction. My research clearly pointed to the need for systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension—especially in the early years. When I began to apply these principles in my own teaching, I saw a dramatic improvement in my students’ learning outcomes. It was during this time that I pursued Orton-Gillingham certification, seeking to better support students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

Later, in my education specialist program at the University of Alabama, I focused on the critical role of daily, systematic phonics instruction, small-group literacy intervention, and brain-based learning strategies. My thesis explored metacognition—specifically, the strategies students use to think about their own thinking while reading. This research helped me understand how educators can more effectively teach comprehension by tapping into these internal processes.

My work is also informed by frameworks such as Scarborough’s Reading Rope and The Simple View of Reading, which have equipped me to develop and lead professional learning programs for fellow educators. Through this work, I have not only helped students directly, but also empowered teachers to adopt research-based best practices in their own classrooms—ultimately expanding the reach and impact of effective literacy instruction.