The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4), is commonly used to measure a student’s academic abilities. Within this test, there is a specific component designed to assess the risk for dyslexia, known as the Dyslexia Index. While this index offers a rapid screening for dyslexia, it doesn’t provide a comprehensive diagnosis. Still, it can be a crucial first step toward understanding whether your child may be at risk. 

Kate specializes in working with students who struggle with reading and written expression ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade. The Holy Names Educational Therapy Graduate Program provided me with training in assessment, intervention, and remediation students with learning differences. I use a variety of assessments, materials, and assistive technology in my practice. My training and the programs I use include multi-sensory methodologies such as Orton-Gillingham, UFLI Foundations, the Wilson Reading System, the Barton Reading System, Lindamood Bell / Seeing Stars, Making Math Real, Handwriting Without Tears, Read Naturally and SIMS. Regardless of a student having a formal evaluation, I am equipped to support and develop the skills needed for academic success. 

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Since the pandemic began five years ago, I have seen too many students struggle with low self esteem, stress and anxiety. Often I have wondered when working with students if they have a learning difference or if their emotions are getting in the way of their learning? A child's ability to learn and find success in school as well as finding happiness in their social lives is critical. Children with low self-esteem face risks including anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, poor academic performance, and unhealthy coping mechanisms that can potentially lead to long-term difficulties in relationships and overall well-being. I am excited to announce my new service: Resiliency sessions for children (ages 8 -12). This initiative is tailored to assist students in tackling issues related to low self-esteem, stress, or anxiety.

We'll be mostly using "The Resiliency Workbook for Kids" by Caren Baruch-Feldman. This workbook for kids offers engaging activities grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and positive psychology. Your child will learn how to “make friends with” their emotions, focus on the things in life that make them happy, and connect with what really matters to them. Finally, your child will discover how helping others can make them feel good about themselves, so they can move beyond feelings like sadness, fear, and anger. Resilience can help kids stay strong and recover from the psychological impact of stress which impacts learning. This workbook will help your child find the tools needed to build resilience in the face of stress, so they can bounce back even better.  For samples of the workbook, please click on this link: https://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Workbook-Kids-Activities-Challenges/dp/1684039169

We will be reading uplifting stories about resilience and overcoming obstacles from thoughtfully chosen texts. We will also work on journaling activities with my collection of art supplies where children will enhance their self-expression. 

The goals of any one-on-one session with a student are to continually build his or her self-confidence, self-awareness, and sense of purpose. While working with students in a one-on-one setting, time would be spent focused on helping students hone their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. Helping them with the evaluation of assignments, the analyzing and editing of essays, and the management of their time to do all of these things will result in client confidence and improved measurable results. In addition, I am qualified to help students with their test preparation and test-taking strategies with the end result being the meeting of an individual’s scholastic goals.

• Reading interest inventory

• Customized book list suggestions

• Access to an assistive technology for reading training 

• Active reading strategies for comprehension

• Prosody development — the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech that provides important information beyond a sentence's literal word meaning

• Dialogue reading practice

Grades 5-8:

• Planning and prewriting

• Sentence structure and variety

• Grammar for writing

• Basic paragraph structure

• Expanding paragraphs

• Audience and purpose

• Modes of writing

• Summarizing

• Writing for prompts

• Essay planning, drafting, revising, and editing

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Grades 9-12:

• Sentence structure

• Expanding Sentences

• Advanced grammar for writing

• Prewriting and utilizing graphic organizers

• Basic paragraph structure

• Expanding paragraphs

• Modes of secondary school writing

• Outlining

• Essay planning, drafting, revising, and editing

Looking back on my life and experiences, it is abundantly clear that my four years at an independent boarding school defined me and shaped me more than perhaps any other experience. 

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Growing up in the rural southern United States was wonderful in many ways; however, the type and rigor of the education I was receiving was not a great match for my learning style. That, coupled with my parents’ desire to help me broaden my worldview, led us to seek out an independent educational consultant who could guide us through the process of identifying schools that would be a good fit as well as help us understand the process of visiting, applying, and attending a school that would be the right fit for a fourteen year old boy. 

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After graduating from high school and attending college in search of a profession, I realized that my true vocation was the world of secondary school education. During my eighteen years at an independent school in the San Francisco Bay Area, I taught high school English across all of the grades, served as the Chair of the English Department, was a Deans of Students, and also was a member of the Admissions Committee tasked with interviewing potential students, reading their applications, and deciding upon who should be admitted. 

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Upon moving back to New Orleans in 2017, my wife Kate and I embarked on the next step of our journey with the founding of Nola Learning Support . Part of our core business is providing consultation to families who, like mine, were in search of an alternative academic environment for their child. My wife also attended an independent boarding school in New England as did both of our children. As a result, we have keen insights and practical knowledge when it comes to helping families navigate what is often an unknown world to them. My purpose is to find exactly the right academic match for students, no matter what their needs may be.

• Active note taking strategies to increase students’ engagement, comprehension and retention

• This service includes materials and at least 10 sessions are suggested over the summer

• Below is an article about the value of active reading and incorporation of marginalia as well as student-friendly approaches. annotation:https://www.edutopia.org/article/more-highlighting-creative-annotations/

• Active note taking strategies to increase students’ engagement, comprehension and retention

• This service includes materials and at least 10 sessions are suggested over the summer

• Below is an article about the value of active reading and incorporation of marginalia as well as student-friendly approaches. annotation:https://www.edutopia.org/article/more-highlighting-creative-annotations/

The college essay is important because it offers students a unique opportunity showcase their personality, experiences, and aspirations beyond their academic. It allows admissions committees to gain insight into who the student is as an individual, helping them to stand out in a competitive applicant pool. A well-crafted essay can highlight a student's strengths, resilience, and passion, making a lasting impression. Ultimately, it serves as a chance for students to tell their story and articulate why they would be a valuable addition to the college community.

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Learn how to write an essay that will impress the reader 

• Your story should draw the reader in

• Everything you write should reveal something interesting about you and describe who you are

• Reveal your values and dreams

• Offer a nuanced and complex understanding of life and the world

• Take the reader on a journey