Our Tutors
Holly LaVine, M.Ed., ICALP-CALT
Founder and Director of Literacy Learning Solutions
Holly LaVine has 20 years of experience in individualized remediation, multisensory teaching, and diagnostic evaluations both privately and in the public schools. She also has engaged in advocacy, teacher education, and designing remedial materials. Apart from earning a Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities from the Rivier University in 2001, she also completed several levels of the Scottish Rite Orton-Gillingham training program between 2003 and 2016. She is an avid and lifelong learner and teacher.
Holly taught at the elementary school level as a special educator for 5 years, specializing in Learning Disabilities, as a reading/writing specialist for 2 years, specializing in literacy coaching, and as a regular classroom teacher for 9 years at the third grade and Kindergarten levels. She is a certified educator in the State of New Hampshire in Elementary Education, General Special Education, Learning Disabilities, Reading/Writing Specialist and English Language Learners. Her most recent assignment has been working with high school students in an English Language Learner setting for the past 4 years.
For 12 years, she worked as a tutor with dyslexic students of all ages for a non-profit corporation. She completed accredited training programs under the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) and training programs in Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) and Visualizing and Verbalizing. Holly is recognized by the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) as a Certified Academic Language Therapist and as an Instructor of Certified Academic Language Practitioners. Additionally, she received an English Language Learners (ELL) certification from the University of New Hampshire in 2015. Holly is also a contracted dyslexia/educational diagnostician for The Counseling Center of Nashua, NH. She performs psycho-educational evaluations and provides feedback to families both through her own practice and through this Neuropsychology unit.
In her spare time, she is an exercise enthusiast, and she teaches cycling and Pilates/Yoga classes at the Nashua YMCA. She also teaches an introductory special education course at Manchester Community College in the Teacher Education department which addresses Learner Exceptionality. She is the proud mother of three grown children.
Angelica Rodriguez, M.S., CCC-SLP, CALP
Co-Director of Literacy Learning Solutions
Angelica is an ASHA-certified and licensed speech-language pathologist. She graduated with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Worcester State University in December of 2016. Angelica also completed her certification program in the Orton-Gillingham methodology in 2018. She has received additional training in the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS), Visualizing and Verbalizing, and Lively Letters programs. Angelica has a passion for testing and prescribing the proper language and literacy therapy based on evaluation results. She is a skilled and reflective clinician who greatly enjoys working with students of all ages.
Julie Swanson, B.S., SLP-ACCC-SLP
Julie is a licensed speech-language pathology assistant in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She obtained a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Worcester State Univeristy and is also currently completing a certification program in the Orton-Gillingham approach. She has experience working as a research assistant conducting phonics and reading comprehension intervention and assessments with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders. She has also worked as a volunteer with children and adults learning English as their second language to improve reading, writing, and spoken English skills.
Ehrin Kelly, M.Ed.
Ehrin is an 8th grade Special Education Teacher in Derry, New Hampshire. She holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature and an M.Ed. in Elementary & Special Education, both from Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a Certified Dyslexia Practitioner, Level 1, and received her certification from the Children’s Dyslexia Center in Nashua, NH. She has been a teacher for 7 years and has taught grades K-3 & middle school. Ehrin has a passion for rewiring the brain, and teaching kids how to read and write, through multi-sensory, direct, explicit & engaging lessons. She lives in New Boston, with her two cats Ernie & Penny, and she loves to be outdoors, garden, hike, and cook.
Chelsea Nee, M.Ed.
Tutor
Chelsea lives in Boston, Massachusetts and has been a public-school teacher in Malden for 8 years. She was a fourth-grade teacher for 5 years and is now a second-grade special education teacher. Chelsea completed her Orton-Gillingham course in 2018 while she was a fourth-grade teacher and used those skills and strategies within the general education classroom. She moved grade levels and from general education to special education in order to provide Orton-Gillingham lessons in small groups of her high need students. She uses Orton-Gillingham within the general education classroom as an intervention for students with dyslexia or any struggling reader. Chelsea has taught all five levels of the Orton-Gillingham approach throughout private tutoring and within the public-school classroom.
Morgan Delapena, M.Ed.
Tutor
Julie is a licensed speech-language pathology assistant in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She obtained a B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Worcester State Univeristy and is also currently completing a certification program in the Orton-Gillingham approach. She has experience working as a research assistant conducting phonics and reading comprehension intervention and assessments with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders. She has also worked as a volunteer with children and adults learning English as their second language to improve reading, writing, and spoken English skills.
Kathleen Peterson, M.Ed.
Tutor
Kathleen has been an educator in Southern New Hampshire for the past 22 years. She has taught grades 1, 2, and 3. While in the classroom, Kathleen worked with many children who had 504 plans and IEPs. She completed a Master’s Degree in learning disabilities in 2010 at Rivier University. Additionally, she achieved her certification as a reading and writing specialist in 2015 from Rivier University. Kathleen received both her initial and advanced level training in the Orton-Gillingham approach at the Children’s Dyslexia Center in Nashua NH. She became a certified dyslexia practitioner in the spring of 2019. Kathleen has left the classroom and is now a reading teacher. She recognizes and values the growth all children can make when exposed to multisensory instruction.
Robin Lyle, M.Ed.
Tutor
Robin has been teaching for over 27 years, both on the secondary and elementary level. She has worked as an English teacher, a history teacher, and a homeschooling mother for a bit while living on Nantucket Island. Later in her career, Robin earned her Master’s degree as a special educator of students with social/emotional challenges and learning disabilities from kindergarten through the twelth grade, as well as a certification in ELL. She also completed an Orton-Gillingham training program in 2020 and is currently pursuing certification. In all of those years, she has developed a passion for teaching students to read and write successfully at all grade levels, especially for those children that have found reading to be a challenging and frustrating ordeal.
Haley DeDonato, M.Ed.
Tutor
Haley is a New Hampshire certified Special Education teacher. She received a Bachelor’s degree in educational psychology from Curry College and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Rivier University. Haley currently works as an elementary school case manager providing specialized instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and behavior management. She completed an Orton-Gillingham training program in 2019 and is currently pursuing certification. Haley also has received training in Fundations, Wilson Reading Program, LLI and Multi- Sensory Math Instruction. When Haley is not working or tutoring, she is enjoying time with her husband and two Labrador Retrievers.
Janelle Sweet, M.Ed.
Tutor
Janelle has been an educator for over 25
years. She has been a home educator, a first, third, and fourth grade classroom
teacher both at the public and private sector, a school Reading Specialist, and an administrator as Dean of Academics in a private school. Most recently, she has been a Reading Specialist and tutor for students with dyslexia, diagnosed and undiagnosed, on a one-to-one basis. Janelle is passionate about teaching reading at, below, and above grade level in order to equip students to become successful readers! My skills include:
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Licensed Reading Specialist
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M.Ed in Early Childhood Education for children with and without disabilities
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Licensed ELL teacher
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Ed. Specialist degree with a concentration in Reading
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Certified Orton Gillingham Instructor
Sandra Brazier
Tutor
Sandra Brazier started teaching violin, viola and cello in 1982. In 2002, she started classroom teaching and currently teaches the second grade at Saint Christopher Academy. Sandra believes that it takes a partnership between the parent, student, and the teacher to help a child to succeed. She has taught second, third, fourth, and the fifth grades as well as several levels of French during her career. She has a BLA and is recognized by ALTA as a Certified Academic Language Practitioner. She loves children and has three grown sons. Sandra is also certified to teach meditation and yoga. She is a professional artist, and most of her work is in oil or acrylic on canvas. She loves books and reviews them for several online companies. She lives with her three dogs, Aimée, Chérie and Charlie.
Jill Candlen
Tutor
Jill has four years of teaching experience in Massachusetts Public Schools. She completed the Orton-Gillingham Level 1 Basic Skills Training in the summer of 2021 and is currently pursuing OG certification. Jill is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Special Education for Moderate Disabilities at Fitchburg State University. In her free time, Jill enjoys hiking, rock climbing, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Tricia Singer
Tutor
Tricia is a certified New Hampshire and Massachusetts Elementary Education Teacher. She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with an undergraduate study in reading from Westfield State University. She also received her Master's degree in Elementary Curriculum from American International College. Tricia worked as a grade 3 teacher in Littleton, MA for five years. Before that she worked with special education students as well as in various social emotional learning environments. In her free time, Tricia enjoys spending time with her two puppies and family as well as reading books and doing puzzles.