ABOUT
NOLA LEARNING SUPPORT
Passionate About Empowering Students
As parents of two grown children who have learning differences, we know there is a need for support for students and parents in New Orleans. Even as educators, we often felt overwhelmed seeing our own two children struggle. It was difficult to know who to turn to for help, and at times it was emotionally and financially trying. With the help of the right professionals, we learned to advocate for our children to get them the support, understanding and the accommodations they deserved. Without the right guidance, students with learning differences can be left with low self-esteem and inadequate preparation for years to come.
With Kate's experience in early childhood education and Educational Therapy and Todd's experience with middle school, high school and college students, students will be welcomed into a learning center where, as a team, we both will offer support to those needing reading, spelling, writing, and executive function interventions. We use a variety of assessments, research and evidence based programs, and strategies specifically tailored to each student. By partnering with parents and teachers, we provide measurable academic success which leads to gains in students' self-confidence and pride. In the past, we have offered private 1-1 sessions at our Uptown offices as well as on a variety of school campuses and students' homes. Beginning in March of 2020, we also started offering our services via Zoom. Together, we provide practical, effective support drawn from years of experience. Whether your child is in the first grade or the twelfth grade, we can assist in helping him or her meet success and build self-advocacy skills to live happier lives.
Kate Novak, Certified Educational Therapist
Todd Novak, M.A.
More about Todd
The goals of any one-on-one session with a student are to continually build his or her self-confidence, self-awareness, and sense of purpose. While working with students in a one-on-one setting, time would be spent focused on helping students hone their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills. Helping them with the evaluation of assignments, the analyzing and editing of essays, and the management of their time to do all of these things will result in client confidence and improved measurable results. In addition, I am qualified to help students with their test preparation and test-taking strategies with the end result being the meeting of an individual’s scholastic goals. Lastly, college application and essay writing and revising is a crucial step in any successful high school student. Having taught the process for years, I have both the skill and the resources to provide keen insights. Throughout this process, it is fundamental to have regular conferences with clients and their parents in order to determine how well he or she is succeeding as well as to provide future guidance.
More about Kate
I have been in the field of education working with children, teens, and adults for over twenty years. I was inspired to choose Educational Therapy as a career when my son was identified as dyslexic. Reflecting on my own struggles as a young student has provided me with empathy and compassion in addressing a student's critical needs. The right kind of support for a child can be life-changing.
I specialize in working with students ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade. The Holy Names Educational Therapy Graduate Program provided me with training in assessment, intervention, and remediation for people with mild to moderate learning disabilities. In addition, professional development is something I am actively involved in, and I mostly use reseach and evidence based programs. I design individual plans focusing on a student's strengths and areas in need of growth.
I use a variety of assessments, materials, and assistive technology in my practice. My training includes multi-sensory methodologies such as Orton-Gillingham, the Wilson Reading System, the Barton Reading System, Lindamood Bell / Seeing Stars, Making Math Real, Handwriting Without Tears, Read Naturally and SIMS. I regularly attend conferences that continue to develop my deep interest in how people learn. I am specifically interested in new research about dyslexia, executive function and how trauma impacts a child's academic experience.