Hello
My Certifications:
I am Darci Ziegler. Here is just a little bit of info about me:
*I live on the plains of Colorado with my husband and 2 grown kids (1 girl, and 1 boy). We also have 1 dog, several cats, and chickens.
*We homeschooled both children all the way through highschool.
*Our family likes to hike and camp in the mountains.
*My favorite place to be is the garden - almost any garden, vegetable garden, xeric garden, but especially flower gardens... and a strange thing about me is I actually like to weed!
*I am a Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) and am kind of a nerd that loves to learn about how to teach reading to struggling readers.
It's heartbreaking to watch your child struggle to learn how to read.
If I had known what I know now I would have known before school age that my first child was going to struggle with reading. The signs were all there. First of all there was a history of reading difficulties in the family. Next she was in speech therapy from age 2-5. And she had the hardest time remembering the names of things. She didn't even remember the name of her favorite dolly so she ended up calling her blue baby because she had a blue outfit. Of course this difficulty in remembering the names of things made learning the names of letters and numbers very difficult. Like I said if I had known what I know now I would have known without a doubt she was dyslexic. But at the time, even though I was a certified teacher, I had no idea. I had not learned anything about dyslexia in my teacher training program.
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I had been teaching kindergarten before my own children were born and I quit my job to stay home with them. Most of the children in my kindergarten class had learned to read and I really thought I knew how to teach reading. In fact I had taken a phonics tutoring course after quitting my job and was tutoring in my home. But I did not know what I did not know. When I began to teach my daughter to read in the same way I had taught my kindergarten class it just didn't work.
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We struggled and floundered for several years with her making minimal progress. Maybe you know from experience how frustrating this time was for both of us. I often tried to make some fun game or something to help us learn - but it just wasn't fun. It was hard work for her and always disappointing and discouraging. There were lots of tears. I was unsure what to do.
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We finally had her evaluated and got a diagnosis of dyslexia. From that point on I have been studying about dyslexia and how to teach dyslexic people to read. I used all 10 levels of the Barton System with both my children and also took the associate level classes for Orton-Gillingham, and I have taken a Master of Arts in Teaching - Dyslexia Specialist. I never want to be in that position again where I do not have a clue how to teach the reading skills or even what skill needs to be taught.
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I am excited to report to you that my daughter is now a good reader and has graduated from community college with a 2 year degree in applied science summa cum laude! I am so proud! These are the life experiences and interests have led me to open my own reading therapy business.
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Do you relate to this story? Do you have a child that is struggling to read despite your best efforts or having great teachers at school? If so fill out my form to request a free evaluation today.
My mission:
To teach reading using the science of reading, high quality reading materials, and growth mindset in a way that will inspire students to rise higher in every way.
My vision:
To inspire all my students to become excellent, discerning readers, who enjoy reading and choose reading materials that will advance them in every way.
My Core Values:
Faith: My faith is the most important thing I have. Faith in God. Faith is not the belief that God will do what I ask Him to do. Faith believes that God will do what He has promised. Faith believes that even if things don’t go as I think they should God is still with me and knows what will be best. I believe that God never leads us otherwise than we would choose to be led if we could see the end from the beginning as He does. I believe God can take even bad things and work them out for good for those that love Him. This includes if he allows really bad things – even death.
How does this apply to my business? I believe God knows your struggles with reading. He has allowed them for a purpose and can work through your struggles to make you a stronger person and a blessing in this world.
Encouragement: One of the purposes of a Christian is to encourage others. We should encourage others to do what is right and to persevere when the going is hard. Often, we can encourage others with a hand up but should be careful about giving a handout.
How does this apply to my business? I hope to encourage you as you work to become a good reader. I cannot do the work for you, but I will give you a hand up by teaching you how to work effectively. You must put in the work and the progress you make and the confidence you gain will be yours to build on.
Hard work and perseverance: Perseverance is sticking to things. Keeping at it through difficulty and hardship. It is never giving up. I believe it is one of the most important ingredients to a successful life. You gain it through doing hard things and you need it for all kinds of life situations.
How does this apply to my business? I persevered when I was teaching my daughter to read, and I will persevere with you also. You will also have to persevere and work hard to achieve your goals. No one else can do it for you. One of the things most dyslexics learn in life is how to persevere through hard things and that will make you a stronger person.
Reading is the most important academic subject and reading well allows you to succeed in whatever you choose to pursue in life.