If your child has difficulty reading or has been diagnosed with dyslexia, you may have heard that IEW offers a tailored approach to help them grow as writers. As a first step, we suggest children strengthen their literacy skills to achieve grade-level standards. For those reading below grade level, we recommend Aspire Academy, a learning center specializing in dyslexia screening, reading tutoring, and parent support. After two to three years of active participation, most Aspire students reach grade-level proficiency in reading and spelling. At this time, they are ready to begin the IEW writing program at Rose Writing Center.
Aspire Academy’s Executive Director Heidi Stoffel shares Rose Writing Center’s vision for effective, personalized instruction. Heidi is a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner who is Level 1 Certified in the Wilson Reading System. In addition, she has completed the Susan Barton Master’s level class in Screening for Dyslexia. Heidi and her team of highly skilled tutors have a proven track record of success, helping countless students transform their relationship to reading.
Developing as a writer is a lifelong journey. At Rose Writing Center, we are proud to partner with Aspire Academy to prepare students of all abilities for reading, writing, and academic success.
In 2013, Ms. Lauren Bridgeford graduated with a BA in Languages, Literature, and Criticism from Hunter College. She has also obtained her DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification from Cambridge University. Currently, Ms. Bridgeford is a Registered Instructor accredited by the Institute for Excellence in Writing, and she is pursuing her master’s degree in Secondary Education.
Deanna Heikkinen has been privately teaching writing as well as history, literature, and art history to students grades 2-12 for over six years. Prior to that, she was a tenured professor of humanities at Los Angeles Valley College with a focus on teaching the Great Books of Western Civilization. Additionally, she taught world history, western civilization, Native American history, and anthropology at the college level. Whether teaching elementary, middle, or high schoolers for Rose Writing Center, Deanna's diverse background allows her to serve as our test prep, academic support, and custom lesson specialist.
