Hi, I’m Melissa Robart.
I am excited you are here! My journey to Spotted Dog Tutoring started out when I was in third grade. I loved school and loved my teacher even more, but I dreaded…. READING! I could not figure out how to decode words and spelling was just out of my league. I learned to read by memorizing words. If I had not memorized a word I came to in a book, a good guess based on the context or a picture in the book was the best tool I had. Luckily, I had a great short term memory and was able to get by in school.
As I started to figure out what I wanted to do in my life, becoming a teacher was my top choice. I knew there had to be a better way to teach children, than how I learned many years ago. My educational career started with teaching in Ohio for six years, 3 years as a reading interventionist and 3 years in a third grade classroom in the Olentangy Local School District.
Following my love of nature, Colorado was always a dream location to call home. I made the big move in the summer of 2016. I was able to teach three years in Douglas County School District as a first and third grade teacher. Then, I transitioned to Cherry Creek School District to become a fourth grade teacher and finally a reading and math interventionist.
I was fortunate enough to become a certified Orton-Gillingham Reading teacher and it changed my outlook on teaching reading, completely. As I used the Orton Gillingham approach with my students in intervention, I noticed huge growth in their ability to read and spell. I knew this was the difference these students were getting, that I never got as a young reader.
I am so excited about using the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading and math. I am ready to bring it to your home and help your struggling readers become proficient readers. I knew creating my own tutoring business was the best decision for me, as I can help students from many different schools, backgrounds and ability levels. Spotted Dog Tutoring might have taken me twelve years to create, from years of classroom and intervention experience, but I am excited to be doing exactly what I love!
Meet the Spotted Dog
“Willow”
Willow is a 5 year old Great Pyrenees mix. She was spotted roaming the fields of Kansas as a young pup. After seeing her sweet face on an adoption website, I knew she was just what I was looking for in a dog. Her loving demeanor easily wins over the hearts of anyone she meets. Willow enjoys chasing squirrels around the backyard and walking around Wash park. She is always by my side, and is thrilled to have her mom starting a business at home. After envisioning a name for my tutoring business, I knew incorporating her was the perfect match, just as she is the perfect match for me!
