Welcome to Joyful Questions! I’m Amy—a lifelong learner and reader. I’m glad you’re here!
I’m passionate about teaching children to read and believe every individual deserves the opportunity to master the skills that open the door to lifelong learning. My journey in education began over 20 years ago, and it has taken me through many roles: classroom teacher, special education teacher, homeschool mom of three, and now, reading tutor.
I hold both undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and am dual licensed in elementary education and special needs in Massachusetts. Early in my career, I discovered the science of reading and was fascinated by how the brain learns to map sounds to symbols and turn them into meaning. That understanding shaped how I’ve taught ever since.
As a special education teacher, I was trained in and used the Orton-Gillingham approach, working with students who had a range of learning disabilities, including dyslexia. When I began homeschooling my own children—one of whom has a learning disability in reading and math—I gained a whole new level of empathy. I understand what it feels like to be a parent trying to navigate a learning journey that doesn’t always follow the typical path.
Recently, I discovered EBLI (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction), a speech-to-print method that brings together all the elements of learning to read – phonemic awareness, handwriting, sound/symbol correspondence, fluency and vocabulary in a efficient and integrated manner at an accelerated pace. I’m currently working with several students and love seeing their growth in both reading skills and their enjoyment of reading. I anticipate completing the requirements for my EBLI certification by the summer of 2025.
I am currently accepting new students. If you’re interested in learning more about hiring me to work with your child, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
In Person and Online Engagements:
- In person tutoring is available at locations within a 10 minute drive of Easthampton, MA.
- Online tutoring is available for live and interactive online sessions. I use Koala Go as an online platform which is kid friendly and interactive.
Personalized and Objective Based:
At the beginning of an engagement we schedule an initial meeting that will consist of a little time to get to know one another and to conduct an initial assessment.
From that assessment a plan will be proposed that will include a recommended frequency for meeting as well as establishing measurable objectives so that progress can be tracked through our engagement
My Approach
I use the EBLI reading program for instruction. I follow the design of the program fairly closely. I may add additional review or games for students who have difficulty with attention or who need additional time with the words and concepts the student is working on.
For a student needing support with decoding and fluency skills we will work on:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Sound/Symbol Correspondence
- Syllable Division Rules to Decode and Encode Multisyllabic Words
- Read Decodable Text
- Repeated Readings
For a student needing support with reading comprehension we will work on:
- Vocabulary
- Oral Language Skills
- Background Knowledge
Scheduling and Associated Fees:
Scheduling is arranged on a monthly basis, with mutually agreed-upon meeting times and locations set in advance for the upcoming month. Students who are actively participating will be assumed to continue unless otherwise noted, and their regular days and times will be reserved for the duration of the engagement.
- Initial meeting and assessment – Free
- Ongoing Tutoring Sessions:
- $55 for one 50 min sessions*
*Currently, I am offering a discount while I work toward my EBLI certification.
Tutoring Fees will be charged monthly on the first of the month for the upcoming month where tutoring is scheduled.
Next Steps:
Please contact me using the following online Google Form: