OUR TUTORS
A network of trained and experienced people,
ready to work with you and your child to make progress
Cora Connelly, M.Ed. , A/OGA
Cora Connelly started her career with a Masters in Special Education, focused in autism, followed up by many years homeschooling and teaching large group classes to homeschoolers in Art, Science and Writing. Since her own children moved on, she has specialized in training and practice focused on reading difficulties and dyslexia. She is a certified Barton Reading/Spelling tutor at the advanced level, has trained with Susan Barton as a dyslexia screener and has several years of remediation experience across a wide spectrum of ages and severity. In 2020, Cora completed Orton-Gillingham training and her practicum at the Academy Associate Level and continues to work under the mentorship of a Fellow. She has also completed a variety of graduate level classes in reading and dyslexia related topics through the Dyslexia Training Institute, the Dyslexia Resource Trust, and continuously reads and participates in webinars pertaining to the most current practices and research in the field. These include Structured Word Inquiry, reading comprehension, phonological awareness, progress monitoring, handwriting, assessment, and other learning differences.
Cora most enjoys finding ways to best teach her students so they can feel confident, capable and ready to bring the world their strengths. She incorporates relationship-building, fun and compassion into each session with a student. She also finds pleasure in walking alongside families as they learn to look at reading and learning in new ways, and meeting the needs of everyone in the family.
You might also find her traveling around the country supporting her four mostly grown children, working in many roles for Auburn Area Community Theatre or enjoying more time with her husband, Brian.
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PARENTS SAY...
Our daughter was really struggling learning to read throughout 1st grade. She was frustrated and hated attempts at reading. After realizing that our approach was not helping, we came to Cora to determine if dyslexia was a possibility. After the diagnosis was confirmed, Cora began working with our daughter, who began to show significant improvements. Seeing our daughter make such strides with reading has lifted a huge burden off of us. She has even come to enjoy some books (despite her struggles), something we never thought possible. Cora has been a determined advocate for our daughter, finding and researching ways to better reach her. We strongly recommend her services for children with dyslexia.
I I felt like I was working with a family member and not a business which was great since COVID had us communicating virtually. It provides a piece-of-mind knowing exactly what we need to focus on with my daughter. Also, at the end of the assessment, we were given options and nothing was pushed on us as far as tutoring services go. Wonderful experience!
She has not only taught my daughter to be a great reader and speller using the Barton system but she has encouraged her creativity, her love of reading, and encouraged this mom many times along the way.
Before we met Cora, I frequently felt overwhelmed with the question, "Why can't S learn to read?" Even after we discovered he was dyslexic, I carried the weight of teaching him well, and the learning curve was steep for both of us! I tell people often that Cora Connelly saved our homeschooling, and I mean it. In one year of working with her, S went from a boy who could barely read and thought he was stupid, to a confident student who is daily growing in his ability to read and spell.
