Hi! I am Joy. I have an MS degree and PhD in speech language pathology with a focus on reading development, assessment, and intervention. As a speech language pathologist, I have in-depth knowledge of phonology (the study of speech sounds) which is the number one predictor of reading achievement. Phonological processing and its connection to learning phonics (how letters and sounds connect) is teachable, and I’m able to quickly help students improve their skills in these critical foundational reading skills.

I have been successfully teaching beginning readers, struggling readers, and students with dyslexia for over 20 years. I taught students with dyslexia at the Lab School of Washington and the Atlanta Speech School before starting a private practice. In private practice, I continued to teach beginning and struggling readers, and I worked as a consultant to develop and deliver professional development courses related to reading assessment and reading interventions, including a pilot project that launched the Rollins Center for Language and Learning.

I’ve taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses and presented at professional conferences on topics such as predictors of reading success, language and literacy assessments, phonetics, and language development. In addition, I’ve conducted and published research papers on characteristics of struggling readers and improving reading skills for middle school students. Currently, I’m a senior ELA curriculum designer for IXL.com.

I’m well versed in many Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy interventions including Wilson and Lindamood-Bell. I have in-depth knowledge of the reading research that informs the science of reading, and I’m deeply knowledgeable about language and reading assessments, so I can help you interpret assessment results if desired.

I offer online sessions, and generally suggest 1 session per week with some follow up, at-home work to complete in between sessions.