EARLY LITERACY

Launch into literacy, geared towards school aged students, (four and five year olds) builds early literacy skills with friends in a small group. Working with a certified Learning Specialist, students will build foundational skills (listening, rhyming, letter names and sounds, comprehension and more!) and confidence in a structured, cooperative learning environment. We’ll use multi-sensory strategies, brain based games and interactive materials that stimulate whole brain learning. Students will together to review and learn letters, sounds, story elements, and sight words. The goal is to build a lifelong love of reading in a fun, nurturing, hands on class.

About Laura Bender

I taught 1st-4th grades for 27 years in private schools both in Miami and Chicago, with the majority of that time spent teaching first grade. She have always taught piano on the side before going into that full time six years ago while tutoring reading on the side. I currently teach piano out of three studios (one at Bubbles) and tutor 5-6 year-olds one-on-one.

I studied piano, violin, and elementary education at Wheaton College, and have my BA in El Ed from Wheaton. I have also been trained in the Wilson Method, Responsive Classrooms, Everyday Math (Chicago), First Focus Phonics (CA), and Writer’s Workshop (Columbia College, NY). I use a combination of Wilson with First Focus Phonics to tutoring/teach reading.