Teach Reading with Orton-Gillingham

Heather grew up in a small town in Connecticut. Upon graduation, she moved to Tampa, Florida, to attend the University of Tampa. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Elementary Education. She then worked for four years as a classroom teacher in 3rd and 5th grades. Heather began her company, Treetops Educational Interventions, in 2014 after attending an Orton-Gillingham training. She began tutoring students after school using the Orton-Gillingham method and saw huge growth in students that were not making progress using traditional classroom methods. After that, Heather left the classroom to pursue working full-time with students who have learning differences. She expanded her business to include tutors with different specialties (including co-author Kristina Smith). After several years of tutoring and attending a variety of reading and Orton-Gillingham trainings, Heather and Kristina set out to create their own curriculum using the methods they had learned, implemented, and improved over the years. Since their launch on Teachers Pay Teachers in 2017, Heather and Kristina have listed and sold hundreds of products using the Orton-Gillingham method and other reading subjects. In this past year, they have seen a huge uptick in sales and have more than doubled their sales from 2018. They were also recently honored as Milestone sellers on Teachers Pay Teachers. Heather currently works with students who have dyslexia and other learning differences at a Tampa Bay area school. She lives in St. Petersburg, FL with her husband, two children, and a variety of rescue animals.Kristina Smith grew up in a small town outside of Annapolis, Maryland. Initially majoring in psychology at Irvine Valley College in Irvine, California, two years later she transferred to the University of South Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. Upon graduating, she began her teaching career with Hillsborough County Public Schools, where she taught students with various learning disabilities, ranging from grades prekindergarten to fifth. Continuing to pursue her love of helping children, she attended Florida State University where she graduated with her Master of Social Work degree. This degree allowed her to provide therapy to children with emotional and mental health disorders. After gaining two years of experience, she narrowed her focus back onto children with learning difficulties. Since 2014, she has trained in Orton-Gillingham, taught numerous students who struggle with reading, and has co-authored a curriculum for teachers who wish to help their struggling students with reading. Kristina is still an educator and resides in Panama City Beach, Florida with her husband. To learn more about Kristina and co-author Heather MacLeod-Vidal and their resources for struggling readers, please visit their website treetopseducation.com or search Treetops Educational Interventions on Teachers Pay Teachers.