Forest Heights Reading Center, LLC
Leah Wannell, MA
Licensed English Language Arts Teacher & Reading Interventionist
Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia Tutor
Growing Readers, Writers & Thinkers
K - 12th Grade
Testimonials
"Thank you does not express our gratitude to Leah for giving our daughter the confidence she needed to grow and develop her reading skills. Ellie has been a bit behind her age group in reading for the last two years. She has had reading interventions through the public school system but never really caught up. Since meeting with Leah twice a week for the last three months, we have seen huge improvements in Ellie's reading and spelling. Leah is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach and we believe this approach is why Ellie is finally catching up to her classmates! Leah always comes well prepared with an interactive lesson for our daughter's virtual meetings, keeping our 8 year old engaged and focused the entire time. Leah's lessons are not only well planned out, they are specifically tailored to Ellie's love of animals. We could not be happier with Leah's program and the progress Ellie has made." - John & Lindy Kuharik, parents
"One of the most enduring traits I noticed about Leah is her sincere interest and drive to do everything within her power to help students grow as readers. From assessing students to planning engaging reading intervention lessons and sharing research-based information with teachers, Leah has a natural propensity for communicating effectively with both children and adults. She has a very calm and kind demeanor that leads teachers and students to feel as though they are in a special learning place where all effort is valued and challenging oneself is fun! " -Vesta Wyncoop, 2nd Grade Teacher, Beaverton School District
"Leah's interaction with her students is impressive. She takes a personal interest in each student, keeping careful track of his or her progress and taking time to confer individually with the student to evaluate that progress. She informs parents of the student's progress and works with them to find individualized ways of remediating student weaknesses. I am especially impressed by the means by which she involves students in the the lesson. She prepares interactive lessons which encourage hands-on participation." -Dan McDonald, parent
"I love my reading lessons! I get to help choose what books we read and she makes sounding out words fun because she uses silly words and sometimes tells jokes." - Ellie K., 3rd grade student
"I remember coming out of my daughter's 2nd grade conference and crying. I was so worried for her, but within a few weeks we somehow found Leah. And just talking to Leah on the phone, I knew I found the person to help her and felt calm. We are ever so grateful for Leah's help all these years, especially when our daughter struggled so much and it took an emotional toll. She was always happier and calmer when she left a lesson. We know our daughter is ready to move on and is thriving."
- Emily, parent
"Leah has established herself as one of the best teachers in a department of exceptional instructors. An effective planner, she has imposed a structure on the English curricula that is serving her students well. She is able to conceptualize not only clear objectives, but also creative activities to engage her students and lead them logically and incrementally to the achievement of the objectives. Structured, student-centered and clear in her expectations, Leah consistently provides superior learning experiences for her students." -Dave Claypool, Principal, Maine South High School
"Mrs. Wannell provides a positive example to students and motivates students to learn. She provides positive criticism when needed and is considerate. She has a great attitude and makes learning fun. She is a great person." -Danielle, 11th grade student
"Leah is a truly excellent teacher, one of the best I've seen. Dedicated, positive, organized and intellectually rich, she appeals to her students by approaching them with enthusiasm and dedication. She is a teacher that students are not only drawn to immediately but also one that they grow to respect and learn from on a deeper level as the year draws on." -Tim Pappageorge, English Department Chair, Maine South High School
