Degrees and Certifications:

Licensed Dyslexia Therapist, Certified Academic Language Therapist, Reading Specialist (EC-12), Master Reading Teacher (EC-12), EC-4 Generalist, Special Education Supplemental (EC-12), English as a Second Language (EC-12), Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction- Literacy Studies

Hello! My name is Mrs. Lara. I am extremely excited about being the Hardy Oak Dyslexia Therapist! I am a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist and Certified Academic Language Therapist.  I also have my certifications in General Education and Special Education, as a Master Reading Teacher, a Literacy Specialist, and an ESL Specialist. I completed my Bachelor's Degree at Baylor University and Texas State University, and I earned my Master's Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

In my free time, I love spending time with my beautiful family, friends, and pet. I love to bake with my daughter, take photographs, read, travel, and I enjoy the outdoors! I am VERY proud to be an American, and I feel extremely blessed to live in the amazing state of TEXAS!  I have a great deal of appreciation for our active duty military and our veterans, including my amazing husband.  Our soldiers, their families, and their loved ones make huge sacrifices so that we can live freely.

I am a firm believer in the power of reading to children, so please be sure to read with your children for at least 15-20 minutes each night!  My favorite authors include Harper Lee (author of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD), Eric Carle (author of books such as THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR), Barbara Park (author of the Junie B. Jones series), and Robert Munsch (author of LOVE YOU FOREVER). Although we all have very busy schedules, the most important academic investment we can make in our children is spending time reading to them every day. They love to hear stories over and over again, so please read to them every chance you get!  Some of my fondest memories of my childhood revolve around reading.  I am blessed with a mother who CONSTANTLY read to me and sang educational songs with me as a child!

Let's work together to make your children lifelong learners by offering them every type of learning experience we can. If we can foster a love of reading and learning in your children at an early age, they will be encouraged to continue learning for years and years to come.

When it comes to dyslexia, children often feel like it's a disadvantage.  However, there are so many beautiful gifts that come with dyslexia, and I'm on a mission to make sure ALL of my students in dyslexia therapy learn about their gifts!