Mary-Anne Mouawad
MARY-ANNE MOUAWAD is the Founder of The Reading Clinic, an educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in the public sector with a special connection to teaching beginning and struggling readers. Her unwavering belief that everyone can, and must learn to read is at the heart of this program.
Education
She is an ardent and dedicated advocate for all students who seek to improve their quality of life. Her experiences, qualifications and character serve as a valid foundation for her work in consultation with teachers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Teaching Experience
Mary-Anne worked with teachers and struggling readers at varying levels to improve literacy for all. She played important roles within schools as a Special Education, Learning Support and Early Years teacher. Her years in teaching were filled with professional growth, success and enthusiasm. She was the recipient of the prestigious Council for Exceptional Children Award which recognizes individuals who have given outstanding service to exceptional children.
Her research and training at the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) in 2016, using the Orton-Gillingham methodology, along with many other research-based programs, was the impetus for the development of her reading program for which the key elements are summarized as:
A multi-sensory, explicit, systematic, and sequential program that assesses reading strengths and weaknesses.
The planning and creation of methods and techniques appropriate for individual readers to build on foundational skills in reading in a one-to-one setting.
The implementation of methods and techniques to guide readers through sets of skills necessary for learning to read.
A number of effective and fun instruction and remediation tools to help teachers address the specific needs of a particular student.
Within her role as the Founder and Director of The Reading Clinic, she implemented a Structured Literacy Program to provide intensive reading support for struggling readers of all ages. She supported teachers with her specialized knowledge in placement, program creation and implementation. Her program is focused on student engagement and sharing a passion for literacy and learning with others. Many struggling, emergent readers continue to see results and reach reading milestones to grade level and beyond.
Community Involvement
Mary-Anne stays current and active within her community and advocates for students at various levels. She served on the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee and was a Board of Director’s member for the Learning Disabilities Association of Windsor-Essex County. She is a member of the International Dyslexia Association which serves millions of people worldwide who have dyslexia, their families, teachers and the global research community whose work informs the science of reading. In 2018, Mary-Anne was elected to the 8th Council of the Ontario College of Teachers and was Chair of the Standards of Practice and Education Committee. She served on both the Executive and Accreditation committees at the Ontario College of Teachers.
She has a contagious enthusiasm and passionate belief in people which inspires them to become more proud, strong, and esteemed providers of education and effective leaders in closing the reading gap. She takes a vision and makes it a reality through her unwavering belief that early intervention is vital to reading success. She is an inspirational leader whose work is rooted in the belief that an effective systematic, sequential, explicit, multi-sensory reading program is the best weapon for future reading success.
