Today we’d like to introduce you to Ty Laurie.
Hi Ty, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story is a quintessential one – I was born in Chicago, Illinois, specifically Hyde Park, a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Growing up in Hyde Park was a fantastic experience! It was a “walking community”, so we had restaurants, a movie theater, and shops just blocks away. Over the years, we had many famous notables as neighbors, including Barack Obama, Muhhamad Ali, Louis Farrakhan and Mandy Patinkin. I grew up in an era that didn’t have the television options that we have today. So I turned to books for entertainment. I was always a good student – who was celebrated as having the highest standardized test scores in the school. I read everything I could get my hands on, even reading my favorites repeatedly. My love for reading turned me into a good speller. My fifth-grade teacher held a mini spelling bee in our classroom, which propelled me into the schoolwide spelling bee, which I won! This win automatically made me eligible to compete in the statewide spelling bee. I did not win, but the experience and love for reading helped me discover my passion for language arts.
I started my college career, majoring in Broadcast Journalism. I quickly learned that being in front of the camera wasn’t my thing. While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I met my husband and had two sons. It was then that I discovered my interest in pre-school age children. My husband and I decided that staying at home with the children while finishing school was the best option for my family. During this time, I also picked up a job as a substitute teacher two days a week to supplement our income. I gravitated toward the jobs with the special needs classes. This experience proved very rewarding to me, so I pursued a Master of Arts in Teaching when I graduated with my undergraduate degree.
During this time, I held many part-time jobs, one being with a tutoring company that specialized in the Orton Gillingham approach. The Orton Gillingham approach is a multisensory reading approach for remedial reading instruction, primarily for teaching those with dyslexia. It is also highly effective for anyone who struggles with reading and spelling. I went through the training required to become proficient and began my journey. As I did, I began to see how effective it was at bridging the gaps for students who struggle in these areas. I realized how much I enjoyed it and finally found my niche!
After several years of working for the company, I started thinking about taking what I had learned and turning it into my own business. I went to school for two additional years to hone my skill, read books on entrepreneurship and consulted with experts until I had all that I needed to get my company off the ground. It was quite a daunting experience at first, but time, patience, dedication and hard work paid a part in watching Laurie Learning flourish!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I could use this opportunity to make my story much more colorful and talk about the struggles that I have had to endure to start this company. But the truth is that it has been a smooth transition to business owner! I do not believe that there is a significant pool of OG tutors in Atlanta, and the demand is high, especially with the more recent progressive attitudes towards dyslexia.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Laurie Learning LLC?
I am an Orton Gillingham reading tutor. The Orton Gillingham approach combines systematic, sequential lessons (phonics-based) with multi-sensory teaching strategies. Orton Gillingham was developed by neuropsychiatrist Samuel T. Orton and educator, and psychologist Anna Gillingham. This approach is primarily for students with dyslexia and is also highly effective for all struggling readers. Laurie Learning’s tagline is “Where Learning Meets Fun”. I incorporate games in my lessons. Games are fun, and they increase student motivation and engagement. Playing games reduces the monotony of learning strategies, which helps with their focus, memory and self-esteem.
Keeping lessons fun is also a great way to strengthen the teacher/student relationship. I am most proud of my relationships with my students. Parents often mention that their children look forward to coming to tutoring, and my students seem genuinely happy to be there! This is also reflected in their progress!
Laurie Learning – Where Learning Meets Fun!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.laurielearning.com
- Instagram: @laurielearningatl
