What I loved most about working with Karen were the few moments she took before each session to see how my week was going. Every Monday I looked forward to being greeted with a warm smile and some sort of a card game or brainteaser. We would talk for a few moments and I would update her on how things were going at home or outside the classroom. On most days this tradition acted as a sort of warm up. But I remember clearly the days that it meant much more to me than that. Karen had a way of drawing people out, and getting them to confide in her. So when I really did need to talk to someone about something, I would wait for those Monday afternoons. Although it may sound as though Karen was half counselor half tutor to me, this style of teaching was somehow infused throughout our entire session. I was never afraid to feel incompetent, nervous or anxious. Karen knew my schedule and she knew my life, and therefore she knew what ways I could best navigate through (while understanding) social issues in order to be the best student and best person I could be. What I loved most about Karen was her ability to help incorporate my character into my work; whether that be through tailoring methods for getting my work done, helping establish a clear voice in my writing, or simply knowing when I needed to take some time off and stabilize myself. Karen was more to me than a teacher, she was a mentor, and this relationship was absolutely imperative to my success as a student and a writer. Student
Working with Karen has helped me improve on all my subjects especially math. She has taught me to be more independent and manage big projects. Not only has she helped me with my schoolwork, she has made me realize that learning can be fun. She also provides a calm environment, which is a key point in learning for me. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today!! Student
…The educational support and guidance she's provided during this time has been invaluable. In addition to working one-on-one with our daughter, Karen diligently coordinates with her teachers to assess her classroom progress and ensure that academic goals are met. Thanks in large part to their ongoing work, our daughter entered high school as an eager, organized and more confident student. As the academic workload increases and with college on the horizon, we look forward to Karen being an important part of our daughter's educational team. Parent
Karen is an exceptional Educational Therapist and mentor. Her love for kids and for learning is palpable, and kids respond to her warmth and to the deep, genuine interest she shows for their learning – and for who they are at their core. In terms of results, our daughter has learned a variety of methods to work through and work around her learning issues. The result has been in a complete subsiding of frustration around home and classwork, heightened confidence in approaching and overcoming academic challenges, and amazing results in terms of knowledge acquisition and performance. She now shows strong confidence and performance in the areas affected by her learning limitation. Parent
Karen has had and is having a profound effect on our daughter’s life. When our daughter was in fourth grade, we were told by a neuropsychologist that she would never read a novel and would probably never be able to pass the written portion of her driver’s test. Needless to say, school was tough and come middle school tougher yet. At this point, Karen came into our lives. Twice a week, she and our daughter broke down the assignments and outlined approaches. Drafts were worked over, tests were prepared for, and importantly, a deep relationship developed. Karen has great depth of character and personal warmth, which geometrically amplify her skills as an educator. Parent
Our son felt that he really learned organization and time management skills from you. By the time he was in high school he was beyond that and although the workload increased each year, he was able to manage the school work almost automatically from the skills he developed working with you during middle school. We were reminded once again at orientation week at college when one of the first things counselors started to talk about was "time management and organization." Even though he has to work harder than the average student, the time management and organization skills he developed with you greatly helped to "level the playing field." Parent
Karen has been my advocate to help my child since he was in 5th grade. When we started he was going off the rails, confused, and feeling that he was stupid. I was frustrated that he would not let me help him to learn. She told me “he wants you to be his mom, let me handle the rest”. I was able to off-load the homework logistics to her- she had more sway with him than I. She tested him, helped him figure out strategies for dealing with his schoolwork, homework, and his teachers. When we faced confusing responses from the school administration, she was there as our advocate to come up with solutions that everyone could agree to. She has been his school-mom, and I thank her for that from the bottom of my heart. Today he is an A/B student, is applying to colleges, just finished a summer internship, and is looking forward to a terrific year. Parent
Our daughter was diagnosed with learning disabilities and was really struggling at school in 2nd grade. Over the next year Karen made extraordinary progress with her reading, and more importantly, made our daughter realize that while she may learn differently than her peers, she was just as capable of accomplishing her goals. We continued with sessions through middle school, and Karen continued to show our daughter how to deal with her learning differences. When our daughter began high school, Karen was there to advocate for the accommodations she needed. Today our daughter has a love for literature and language that Karen was instrumental in nurturing. She has become an A student, an aspiring actress, and developed the confidence to pursue her goals, and more importantly, the ability to advocate for herself. I cannot say enough about Karen, except that if you are lucky enough to secure an opening in her busy schedule, run, don’t walk. She is wonderful! Parent