I recently met Lynda Marecic at a networking event where we were given a 3 minute time limit to meet as many women as possible and move on, speed dating style. As she and I chatted, I was drawn to her passion for the work she does and how important it is to her to empower parents to make the best decisions for their children. As a parent, you never know what challenges will come your way and how you will handle them, but you hope you have someone like her to walk you through them.
Lynda started her journey in Social Work, dealing with mental health and disability cases where she would do individual house calls to help explore behavioral issues. She had always wanted to teach and decided to go back to school for Elementary Education and a Master in Special Education. Armed with these resources, she started her career first as a Disability Advocate and then moved into teaching 7th-12th grade Special Ed Students Community Instruction, including life skills that would allow them to function more independently in the real world. After 7 years, she decided to move to into regular education, teaching 1st grade for an additional 7 years where she could give parents and educators more insight for noticing special needs children in situations where they otherwise might have been overlooked and helping place them in programs where they would succeed. While she loved teaching in a classroom setting, she knew she wanted to work more one on one with these children.
Upon relocating to Hoboken this year, she knew that she was ready to take the leap and start her own tutoring company, I Love Learning. Specializing in Dyslexia, Lynda applies the Orton Gilingham Method, which is a multi-sensory approach gaining momentum in the classroom as well. It incorporates sounds and letters using a waffle board which in turn helps children with dyslexia and ADHD focus and therefore process the information that would otherwise be lost on them in a more traditional curriculum. The benefits of one on one tutoring can propel a child far ahead of the small group learning offered by most schools.
Lynda’s mission with I Love Learning is advocacy and to help parents spot the issue, understand it and then decide how to proceed with tutoring to best help navigate the learning experience.
One parent recently offered, “What is impressive is that Lynda knew what he (her son) needed after one evaluation. I knew my son needed extra help, but I couldn’t say what or how he should be tutored, but Lynda knew and has created a program to help him with what he needs.”
She offers traditional and specialized tutoring from ages 3 years up through 4th grade. I asked her what are some of the signs or things to be aware of with your own child’s behavior and while she doesn’t diagnose, generally as a parent, first and foremost, go with your gut! If your child is showing frustration at school (this can include acting out), be proactive! With her services, she will help the parents understand school testing, IEPs (Individual Educational Plans) and behavioral issues that might stem from frustration. She offers a free consultation which includes an assessment of milestones, current progress at school, going over tests or work sample from school and helping break it all down to create a custom plan for your child. Sessions are an hour long and she recommends twice a week for the best results, as consistency is key!
Love what you read? You can contact Lynda at [email protected] or (724) 462-4980