Develop and reinforce phonics and decoding skills
Extend rhymes
Learn and use vocabulary
Talk with peers about literature
Fine motor skills

I'm a CURRENTLY certified teacher in Illinois.  I am licensed in Regular and Special education, with an M.Ed. (Master of Education in Education) and State-Endorsed (extra training and certification) in English Language Arts and Social Sciences.  My B.A. is in Psychology, with training in counseling, child development, motivation theory, and abnormal development.  My graduate and post-graduate studies continued my focused knowledge in child growth, development, and language development; and and teaching children with physical, emotional, behavioral, psychological and learning disabilities. 

Along with education, training, and credentials, I have two decades of experience, beginning as a paraprofessional for a little girl with spina bifida, progressing from substitute teacher during grad school, to full-time classroom teacher.  These experiences were varied and included grades pre-l through eight.  During my years as a classroom teacher, I also taught Summer School (Extended School Year) in an Early Childhood Classroom, encompassing students with disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, Vision and Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Behavioral Disability, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, ADHD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Mood Disorders/Emotional Disabilities.  I grew up with a sibling who is cognitively disabled, and have children with disabilities.  I encourage and welcome students of all abilities into my Outschool classroom. 

I love reading, writing, dogs, cats, nature, lap swimming, walking my dogs, volunteering, and teaching. 🙂