Testimonials


 

Hands“I am very pleased with Neil’s experience during his first year at Claremont School.  It has definitely been worth both the cost and the long daily drive. He is a different boy from a year ago, not only because his reading is starting to come along, but because he is enjoying school and, once again, believes he can learn and succeed.  Honestly, the Claremont School has been a god-send for Neil.”
—Gail Armstrong, Toronto, ON

“Mrs. Reiss has been teaching my daughter since Grade 5. She is very professional, has a lot of patience, is creative and has plenty of love and kindness in teaching this specific area. My daughter is able to excel in her studies right now. Mrs. Reiss played a major role in it.”
—H. Sang Lee, Toronto, ON

“Three years ago, while living in New York City, my 7 yr old daughter underwent an educational evaluation and was diagnosed with dyslexia and central processing deficiencies. I was referred to an Orton-Gillingham tutor and soon after I could see improvements in decoding and morale. The following year we had to relocate to a part of Canada that was unfamiliar with the O-G approach so my only option was to seek out courses so I could continue my daughter’s lessons on my own. The Orton-Gillingham Academy referred me to Evelyn and I enrolled in her class. I was enrolled with teachers, speech therapists, CDAs and parents similar to myself. Evelyn’s success in this field is due to her passion, expertise and compassion. She imparts her knowledge and experiences thoroughly, interactively and with humour. I found the learning process to be very rewarding and it was a pleasure to have her as my instructor.”
—M. Modderman, Ontario

“Evelyn Reiss harnesses the more complex and significant elements of teaching language to children with dyslexia. She disseminates, models, and translates vast amounts of knowledge into understandable and tangible measures for practitioners in training to use with success. Further, she seamlessly applies all that she knows, analyzes, and intuits about what children and others with dyslexia need in order to build repertoires of enduring skills and practices which, for them, not only makes up what we call “literacy,” but which also give way to expression of self, development of voice, and evolution of intellect.”
—J. Smith-Rubenzahl, Toronto, Ontario

“As both an educator and a parent of a child with dyslexia, I am always looking for ways to help children find success in the school system. I heard about the Orton Gillingham Approach and it sounded so interesting that I took the course with Evelyn Reiss. I was impressed with both the program and Evelyn herself. She is incredibly passionate on this subject and very knowledgeable in this area. The course was just what I thought it would be, a very comprehensive, logical, manageable approach to the teaching of the English language to students with dyslexia. I have put the techniques into practice with my son and we are both enjoying the pace, the discussion and the success we are having. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend both Evelyn and the program to anyone interested in very thorough teaching to help their child improve their reading and writing skills.”
—K. MacDonald, Toronto, ON

“A warm and exceptional teacher, Evelyn provided a wonderful overview of the Orton-Gillingham approach in her Associate Level course. I consider it a privilege to have been her student.”
—Avital (Tali) Kellerstein, Speech-Language Pathologist, Toronto, ON

“During the past 15 years, Evelyn Reiss has been one of the most influential prophets of Orton Gillingham. Her passion, dedication, and unmatched enthusiasm, in changing the lives of those she teaches, has resulted in many new and pioneered teaching techniques and materials. I consider myself very fortunate to have Evelyn as a close colleague.”
—Catherine Tripis, Lexia Learning Center, Toronto,ON

“Trained as a Speech-Language Pathologist, with a special interest in literacy, I stumbled upon Evelyn Reiss serendipitously in the fall of 2006. I was searching for a course in the Orton-Gillingham approach, which I knew from my own education, was sound for teaching literacy, given its comprehensive language elements. Evelyn as a teacher-mentor and Orton-Gillingham as an approach, both exceeded and continue to surpass my expectations. Evelyn Reiss continues to be a valued support for me, accessible for questions and wise, patient and considered in her mentoring approach. She guides me to my own discovery encouraging me to think practically and logically while at the same time, fostering independence and self-confidence as a tutor. A wealth of knowledge and an emissary for this sensible, comprehensive language approach, she continues to be my inspiration. I know that her school will be a great success, given her rich experience, her compassion for her students and her strong competencies for teaching.”
—Dory Goodlin, Speech-Language Pathologist, Thornhill, ON

“I have known Evelyn Reiss for the past nine years and I have always been impressed by her superior level of expertise as a remedial therapist. She is comfortable working with a wide age range and in quite diverse areas, including reading, written language and math. Her versatility across areas and ages makes her unique in the field. She is creative, a good problem solver, a keen observer and listener, all skills which contribute to her excellent diagnostic and intervention skills. Evelyn has always stayed abreast of current research and practices in the field and this serves to enhance her skills in research-based intervention. She has contributed greatly to the understanding of dyslexia in Ontario and has trained many teachers in the preferred method of instruction, the Orton-Gillingham method. Evelyn’s keen intellect, her sharp, analytical mind, her clinical expertise and her extensive and varied experience in the field of learning disabilities makes her an ideal person to run a school for children with dyslexia. I would have no hesitation entrusting a child with dyslexia to her expert care.”
—Pearl Levey, Ph.D., Learning Disability Specialist, University of Toronto

“Evelyn Reiss is an incredibly kind and considerate teacher who is passionate about teaching both students and professionals about reading and writing. I have known Evelyn both professionally and personally. As a Speech Language Pathologist, I have been a student of Evelyn’s taking courses on reading and writing and I am currently completing the mentorship program towards certification. As well, Evelyn has provided tutoring and guidance for me to learn to tutor my 11 year old daughter who struggles with reading and writing.

Years of experience have given Evelyn insight into the needs of a child with special needs and her generous heart allows her to share this insight.”
—Margaret Loftus, M.H.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist, Communicare Speech and Language Services

“Evelyn Reiss is inspirational and affirming. Evelyn is brimming full of theoretical and practical knowledge, is an excellent communicator, and adds that special personal touch to her speaking. Learning with Evelyn is a joy!”
—Christine Robertson B.A. Psych (Hons) P.G.C.E. OCT

“My grade 4 daughter is finally being taught in a way that she can learn. The school has been a gift for us all. The daily routines, the structured approach to reading and writing learning, and the positive environment with other kids like her have all been wonderfully helpful. It is a world of difference for us this year from her prior public school that just (tragically) did not have the adequate supports for her kind of learning.”
—Sarah Richardson, Toronto

“Claremont has given my child the best possible learning environment. His learning is tailored to his strengths and he feels positive about himself and his capabilities. The learning at Claremont is structured but also flexible, allowing for my child to succeed.”
—Sarah Knox, Toronto

“Evelyn is an admired leader and wonderful educator who uses more than just the resources at her fingertips for her students and colleagues. As my classmate, fellow charitable board and commitee member, and colleague, Evelyn has consistently demonstrated a will to find knowledge and solutions for her students and colleagues, regardless of the amount of energy required on her part. The opening of the Claremont School is an important milestone for education for students with dyslexia in Ontario. I wish Evelyn, the school, and her students success!”
—Kira Hensley, Ajax

“I was fortunate to find Evelyn a couple of years ago while researching best practices for Dyslexia remediation. Her kind, approachable disposition came through during our first conversation. Having her as my mentor has been exceedingly helpful. Not only is she encouraging and positive in her comments but she is also very sensitive to people’s needs. I look forward to learning more from this incredibly knowledgeable lady as I further my professional development. However, my gratitude does not stop there. Evelyn knows that this has been a very personal journey for me. With her guidance, I have been able to help some very special people in my life. Thank you, Evelyn, from the bottom of my heart. You touch people’s lives in a more profound way than you could ever know.”
—P. Janas, Ontario

“I took your Orton-Gillingham introductory workshop last summer. I have found it extremely useful in my role as a speech language pathologist working with students with reading disabilities, in Special Education classrooms and in the Mainstream. Your workshop series was very well organized. Despite the almost overwhelming amount of new information to absorb, you not only made it fascinating, you were able to present the material in such a way that I think we all learned and could retain and apply the information. You provided ‘hands-on’ practice to allow us to see how we could use these priciples as well as providing us with excellent resources, that we can refer to in future. The wealth of resource material that you were able to bring to each class was astounding. I have since ordered some of these resouces that you had on display. I have applied many of the principles you taught and have persuaded some teachers, in the schools that I serve, to incorporate some of the O-G strategies into their teaching. Although these teachers will not be able to provide a full O-G program, I feel that their instruction is now more beneficial for their students, and they have commented on the improvement they see in their students’ reading skills. I wish all of the teachers I work with could have the benefit of your guidance and that all of the students I work with could also benefit from your expertise and Orton-Gillingham instruction.

Thank you, Evelyn, and I wish you every success with your new school. It is wonderful that your students will be able to benefit from the wealth of your, and your teachers’, expertise.”
—Barb Holroyd, Speech Language Pathologist, Toronto, ON

“Mrs. Reiss tutored my son from Grade 3-7. She identified areas in which my son required remediation and addressed them in a positive and consistent manner. My son truly enjoyed his bi-weekly/weekly lessons with Mrs. Reiss, which allowed his writing creativity to flow under her guidance. I appreciate Mrs. Reiss’ obvious dedication to her students and for making my son feel more confident in his abilities.”
—VS, Richmond Hill, ON

“Evelyn’s compassion for others is unwavering. She strives to continually evaluate and improve her teaching to assist her students to reach their potentials. She is intelligent, generous, and selfless.”
—GK, Toronto, ON

“In the several months that Evelyn has been working with my son, I have seen enormous gains in his writing skills. He has developed from someone who was afraid to put pencil to paper into a writer who is able to express his ideas on the page with clarity, eloquence, and power. Most importantly, my son has been transformed from someone who had given up on himself into a young adult who takes pride in his writing ability and is beginning to believe in himself again. Evelyn is truly a writer whisperer.”
—M.A.F., Psychoeducational Consultant, Toronto, ON

Neil is a different boy from a year ago, not only because his reading is starting to come along, but because he is enjoying school and, once again, believes he can learn and succeed. Honestly, the Claremont School has been a god-send for Neil.

—Gail Armstrong, Toronto, ON

 

 

Our mission is to teach students with dyslexia, so that they may fulfill their considerable potential and gain the skills and self-confidence needed for academic success.

—Evelyn Reiss

 

A warm and exceptional teacher, Evelyn provided a wonderful overview of the Orton-Gillingham approach in her Associate Level course. I consider it a privilege to have been her student.

—Avital (Tali) Kellerstein, Speech-Language Pathologist, Toronto, ON

 

Claremont has given my child the best possible learning environment. His learning is tailored to his strengths and he feels positive about himself and his capabilities. The learning at Claremont is structured but also flexible, allowing for my child to succeed.

—Sarah Knox

 

My grade 4 daughter is finally being taught in a way that she can learn. The school has been a gift for us all. The daily routines, the structured approach to reading and writing learning, and the positive environment with other kids like her have all been wonderfully helpful. It is a world of difference for us this year from her prior public school that just (tragically) did not have the adequate supports for her kind of learning.

—Sarah Richardson

 

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Please Contact Us!

Claremont School

70 Silver Birch Avenue
Toronto, ON  M4E 3K9
Phone: 416-778-6336