For Parents
When children struggle with reading, caregivers often find themselves carrying questions and uncertainty. Sky Bound Learning's individualized services support families, teachers, and staff so that they can move forward with confidence.
Literacy Instruction
Specially designed, data-driven, and delivered with heart. Grounded in Orton-Gillingham, and informed by the whole child.
Imagine when what was so hard is now within reach.
Sky Bound Learning offers individualized, evidence-based, and joyful literacy learning, grounded in the Orton-Gillingham approach and guided by student data.
Don’t expect a typical tutoring arrangement. Building confident readers isn’t like sprinkling salt on a meal. It requires personal connection, specialized expertise, and compassion, fueled by deep commitment.
At Sky Bound Learning, you get a fully invested partner in your child’s learning, offering trusted support, answering your questions, and sharing insights into your child’s reading. We’re not just here to support your child’s reading development; we’re here to help you.
How it works
Your child’s time is precious. Let’s go.
The Initial Consultation
We begin with an introductory call to discuss academic goals and concerns, followed by a review of the student’s developmental and academic history. I welcome any existing testing, school reports, or progress notes that help round out the picture.
The Instructional Baseline
All Sky Bound instruction is individually designed and, as such, begins with informal assessments to identify skills and areas of need. This baseline data informs the scope and sequence of skills to be covered during our work together.
The Plan of Action
We design a specific plan of action, tailored to your child's unique profile and goals. Upon request (and with your consent), I am happy to share the plan with school-based or private providers.
The Orton-Gillingham Approach
The Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction provides a powerful framework that starts with student data and builds skills through explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory instruction. It is considered a gold standard among structured literacy approaches because all readers benefit—they start to understand how language works, and then...
they soar.
Comprehensive Reading Evaluations
Turning insight into action.
The goal of a reading evaluation is to understand the child’s strengths and vulnerabilities and assess important features of reading development that will inform specific recommendations for appropriate instruction and purposeful intervention in the areas of reading, spelling and writing.
Sky Bound Learning uses both standardized and criterion-referenced assessments to provide a specially designed, individualized plan. All evaluations cover skills in academic achievement, phonological processing, reading/decoding, spelling/encoding, comprehension, receptive and expressive vocabulary, written expression, and handwriting.
An evaluation may also recommend additional testing in cognitive functioning, speech and language, executive function, and/or assistive technology.
How the Evaluation Process Works
An evaluation is an opportunity to better understand each child and create a clear plan for moving forward.
Step 1: Understand the Story
Before testing begins, we review each child's educational history and current learning profile including previous evaluations, school records, work samples, progress monitoring data, and parent input. This helps us understand the journey and ensures that assessment is focused on answering the referral question.
Step 2: Comprehensive Assessment
Testing takes place over two to three sessions, depending on individual needs. We carefully examine the literacy skills that impact reading, spelling and writing to understand areas of strength and where additional support may be needed.
Step 3: Recommendations & Next Steps
We generate a report outlining the findings, including recommendations for instruction and intervention which will guide conversations with teachers, interventionists, specialists and teams. A consultation to review results and recommendations is integral, providing an opportunity to ask questions, discuss next steps, and develop an understanding of how to best support the child.
Consultation & Supportive Services
Helping families and schools tie all the pieces together.
Consultation
Evaluations can feel like a behemoth—all that paper can be overwhelming. We help navigate evaluations and the IEP, review the growing file, synthesize the findings, and help understand what it all means. Bring your questions, one and all!
Instructional Needs Assessments
Instructional-Needs Assessments provide a focused look at specific reading, spelling, or writing skills. Using criterion-referenced assessments, we identify areas of strength and those requiring support, and instructional priorities.
Ongoing Progress Monitoring
Literacy growth requires regular and consistent attention and adjustment over time. Ongoing progress monitoring helps us celebrate growth, understand whether an intervention is working, and make informed decisions about next steps.
School-Based Observations
Seeing children in their learning environment provides insight into how they showcase knowledge and experience the classroom. In-school observations help identify the instructional approaches and supports which will enhance school success.
IEP Meeting Support
We help families carefully prepare for and participate in IEP meetings, identify priorities, and build confidence to engage in productive and collaborative conversations.
IEP Goal Review and Development
We support families in reviewing existing goals and developing new ones that are specific, measurable, and aligned with individual needs.
Referrals
When additional expertise is needed, we connect families and schools with other professionals, from specialists to service providers, ensuring that the right team is collaborating in support of the whole child.
“Amy has been absolutely terrific. My daughter's writing has improved…”
…as reflected by her grades and teacher comments. I love that Amy always sends a detailed summary of the work done in each session. She pushes my daughter to think more critically about her own writing and is building her skills in vocabulary, grammar, complex sentence construction, and multi-paragraph essay composition. My daughter thoroughly enjoys working with Amy and looks forward to each session.
- Parent of 7th Grader, Chappaqua, NY
“Amy has empowered me with knowledge and advocacy skills…”
…so that I know what to ask for in discussions with schools and teachers, and how to monitor progress over time.
I have both a hearing and non-hearing daughter, both close in age, and yet exceptionally different. I have consulted Amy on a variety of questions pertaining to pre-reading skills, writing, and comprehension-building strategies over the years. Amy has an amazing arsenal of resources, and she has been able to point me to specific materials, articles, and books from early literacy development to phonemic awareness activities.
– Parent of Preschooler and 3rd Grader, Washington, DC
“Amy cares deeply about her students and their families.”
She marshals her broad background and extensive knowledge very effectively on their behalf. I have closely observed Amy handle multiple complex cases in thoughtful, impactful and highly effective ways. Amy is a true asset to the field of special education, and families can fully trust her motivations and expertise.
- Special Education Advocate, Fairfield County, CT
Looking for Resources?
Our curated collection of books, articles, and guides provide practical information and research-based insights into how children learn to read, why some struggle, and how evidence-based instruction works.
Helping Every Student Soar
Explore the possibilities.
