Year-in-Review: Running List

Year-in-Review:
Reflections and Highlights
of Aligned Academics

2023

 
Celebrated five years in business! 🩷 12/1/2023
Opened a TPT store
Participated in the virtual conference “Unlocking the Structure of the Science of Reading” offered through OGA (my favorite session being the one by New York Lawyer Alexis Greenberg)
Continuing to offer these services:
-Specialized interventions for dyslexia, in-person and online
-Small group tutoring
-In-person and online tutoring during the school day, through the student’s school
Realized that a monthly tuition model has saved my sanity and definitely increased the longevity of my business
One-year anniversary of scholarship spot fully funded by Aligned Academics
Enrolled a high school student; now officially serve students in K-12th grade
Approached by Annmarie McEwan to tour the dePaul School for Dyslexia in Clearwater, FL; what an amazing gem of a school!
Took a part-time Reading Specialist position at St. Paul’s Independent School of Clearwater; so proud to be a part of the team at this prestigious school!
Noteworthy:
-Visited fellow tutoring friend Emily Laidlaw in Maui
-Consulted with president of The Reading League FL and a Fellow-in-Training
Read:
-Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills,
-One-by-One: Working with Dyslexia,
-The Writing Revolution (re-read #3)
2022

 
Became Orton-Gillingham certified, with practicum, at the Associate level through OGA
Changed business name to “Aligned Academics”
Switched to a monthly tuition-model
Had a short-lived identity crisis thinking I should have invested in a Speech-to-Print approach instead of Orton-Gillingham
Realized that becoming OG certified was absolutely, definitely worth it
Took on first scholarship student fully funded by Aligned Academics
Added three new services:
-Specialized tutoring for individuals who have dyslexia
-Small group tutoring
-In-person and online tutoring during the school day, through the student’s school
Began offering consultation sessions for tutors and teachers
Realized that hiring and managing additional tutors is not the direction I currently want my business to go; created a waiting-list
Took the Keys to Beginning Reading online course
Added two more professional memberships:
-International Dyslexia Association
-Orton-Gillingham Academy
Noteworthy:
-Listened to Sold a Story podcast
Read:
-Keys to Beginning Reading,
-Beneath the Surface of Words,
-Dictionary of Root Words,
-Reading Reflex,
-Writing Skills,
-Homophones Visualized,
-The Writing Revolution (re-read)
2021

 
Began official Orton-Gillingham journey, with Dawn Nieman, through OGA
Participated as a guest speaker on The Reading Project podcast Episode 3.17
Discovered that 16 clients is too many
Hired an excellent additional tutor to help with the demand
Expanded personal resource collection of Latin Morphology
Added Reading Science Academy as first professional membership
Hosted several tutor support meet-ups on Zoom
Became familiar with The National Reading Panel Report
Noteworthy:
-Consulted with Learning Science PhD student
-Took a training called “SOR in Action” professional development course
Read:
-Research-Based Methods of Reading and Writing Instruction,
-Phonics and Spelling Through Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping
-Reading for Life,
-Explicit Instruction,
-The Logic of English,
-Overcoming Dyslexia
2020

 
Switched to online instruction due to Covid 3/1/2020
Turned our second bedroom into my home office
Changed business name to “Kids Tutoring Online”
Became familiar with the Orton-Gillingham approach, trying to decide if the 4K investment is worth it
Created the Facebook group
Science of Reading – Elementary Tutors
12/25/2020
Noteworthy:
-Implemented the SPIRE curriculum in order to become familiar with an OG-based program
Read:
-The Writing Revolution,
-The ABC’s and All Their Tricks,
-Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers,
-Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension,
-Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties,
-The Megabook of Fluency
2019

 
Tutoring services include:
-In person general reading, writing and math tutoring (at client’s home)
-Homework help
Gained 6 clients
Became familiar with
“The Science of Reading”
Became a Science of Reading mentee
Noteworthy:
-Listened to Hard Words podcast
Read:
-Why Johnny Can’t Read,
-The Victims of Dick and Jane,
-How to Tutor,
-Reading with Phonics
-The Word Within the Word
2018

 
Quit my full-time teaching position at Ponce de Leon Elementary
Established a tutoring business
12/1/2018
(as The At Home Tutor)
Utilized the website Care.com to find potential clients