Andrea Dalland

 Take $5 off any of my class listings on Outschool with code DALLAEDUC5

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https://outschool.com/teachers/Andrea-Dalland?signup=true&usid=nD85Y1ms

  Welcome learners and parents! I'm so glad you have found me! I am a life-long learner and educator with over twenty-two years of teaching experience. 

  I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education, and two Master's Degrees; one in Literacy, Curriculum and Instruction, and one in Information and Library Science. I am certified to teach grades K-9 by the state of North Carolina, USA.

 I have twenty years of classroom teaching experience at the Elementary level. After starting my teaching career in public schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, I then had the amazing opportunity to teach at American and International schools around the world. For seventeen years I taught at schools in China, Singapore, Thailand and Russia, working with colleagues and learners from across the globe! I am now living in the UK with my English husband and two school-age children, and from here I have been teaching online full-time for two years. I love that I am able to continue teaching learners around the world from my office in my small English village!

  My passion in teaching online is Structured Word Inquiry. SWI is literacy instruction which operates on the premise that the English spelling system is highly ordered and logical. So much so, that it can be approached scientifically through hypothesis, experimentation and conclusion. Rather than relying solely only on the sounds in words to aid in spelling (phonology), SWI teaches spelling as it really functions; an intersection of phonology along with etymology (the history of a word) and morphology (the building of words from parts; prefixes, bases and suffixes.) 

Structured Word Inquiry is great for learners who:

• Have learning differences such as dyslexia.
• Have tried other phonetics-based programs, perhaps even with some success, but who have stopped making progress, or who are asking questions about spelling that phonics alone cannot answer.
• Are frustrated at learning spelling "rules" that are supposed to help them - and then get the long list of words that break the "rules" they just worked so hard to understand.
• Are tired of the same old strategies for practicing spelling, which mostly come down to just memorization and repetitive practice.
• No longer want to hear, "I have no idea why that word is spelled that way, just memorize it."
• Crave true understanding of the WHYs of things.

   In working with your learner, I will deepen their understanding of the order of the English spelling system by helping to replace the misconception that words can be spelled by “sounding them out.” Any speaker of English knows this approach on its own does not work much of the time given how many silent letters there are in English words, thousands of homophones (words that are spelled differently although they sound the same, etc.) I can help to transform your learner's understanding of English, helping to improve not only spelling skills, but decoding and vocabulary as well. 

              Parent Reviews and Feedback           

"Andrea Dalland's classes are a fantastic way to build vocabulary and spelling skills....I had seen Structured Word Inquiry recommended for students with dyslexia for some time, but it was challenging to find classes for school aged kids. Andrea is patient and does an excellent job engaging my kiddos. The light has gone off for both of them and they look at words with a new perspective. It's very exciting. Andrea even looked into one of their questions and emailed her research to us outside of class. This is a best kept secret I don't want to keep secret!"

"Such a remarkable class. Makes spelling make sense. I think my learner could take it again to really absorb or use an ongoing class. I sat in on classes when I could and learned some new things myself." 

"I had the pleasure of enrolling my son in Andrea's class...and I must say, it has been an incredibly positive experience. Andrea is not just a teacher; she's a guide, a motivator, and an educator who truly understands his unique needs. One of the most commendable aspects of Andrea's teaching is her patience and encouragement. She provided consistent support and positive reinforcement, which greatly boosted my son's confidence. Her feedback was always constructive and aimed at helping my son grow."

"Andrea is fantastic! She's efficient with the time and my daughter learned a ton in a short time span. This is great for dyslexics and people who want to make sense of the English language spelling patterns. Highly recommend!"

"My kid is now making connections outside of this class, and looking at words in a different way. I believe this will also help him grow his vocabulary, and help beyond just learning how to spell. He has grown so much thanks to this class. And, we really appreciate the knowledge and patience that Andrea brings to her teaching." 

"Thanks so much for a fantastic class today! My learner is so excited and thinks he might be a good speller now. That means the world to me as he has a learning disability and his self-esteem has been low lately and spelling has been really challenging. You are really "unlocking" spelling for him. Thank you!"

"My son says this is the only spelling intervention that has helped him. He still has a very hard time, avoids writing and spelling but it has his interest so we are hooked."

"My son loves your class. It's his favorite -  I've never seen him so excited about words before."