“Marianne is a wonderful educational therapist, we highly recommend her.  She has helped our son immensely with reading, writing, and math.  Her knowledge, consistency, and warm nature have been a great help to my son who enjoys working with her weekly.”
-Mother of 5th grader

“At the age of 9 our son T. was falling behind in school and it was apparent that the school was not in a position to teach kids with learning challenges. We took a two prong approach obtaining a 504 assessment and researching private resource specialists. Two doctors recommended Marianne, and she was a perfect fit. Now five years later, I can say Marianne was the single most critical aspect of getting T. on a path towards graduation and college. As parents working full-time jobs with no training in education, we were ill-prepared to take on the exhaustive task of helping T. overcome the frustration and negative feelings that came with a constant academic struggle. Marianne is both prepared and experienced in helping kids and parents find a positive approach that works. We did try adding a brand name program to T.’s routine, but we found it ineffectual. We anticipate Marianne will be part of T.’s education program through high school graduation and maybe even junior college.”
-Mother of 8th grader

“I feel blessed to have had you as a tutor and teacher. You’ve always accommodated my schedule and have been incredibly flexible. You’ve helped me realize that I can accomplish a lot if I have a great support system.”
-Excerpt from thank you note from high school graduate

“One of my greatest regrets about moving away from Lamorinda is losing the wonderful support that my daughter had from Marianne. Marianne began working with my daughter A. in kindergarten, twice a week, to make sure that she could function and not fall behind in a classroom setting that was geared toward ‘typical kids’. My daughter began life with a significant speech delay and early intervention preschool, but was always “borderline” in terms of needing special services versus being with typical kids. By working with Marianne twice a week, one of which was done during school hours on campus, A. was able to work on areas that were challenging for her without falling behind. When a concept was introduced in class, she sometimes required reinforcement in a one-on-one setting, because her understanding of language was not as fast or nuanced as others, and it took her more time to find and recall the information she knew. A. developed a strong bond with Marianne, and Marianne was able to quickly identify where A. needed the most help. It was amazing to me how much she was able to observe about my daughter in a short time, and the creative ways she used to make learning fun. A. always looked forward to going to see Marianne. We kept the communication clear with the teacher and school so that everyone was on the same page, including bringing Marianne to parent-teacher conferences. ”
– Mother of first grader

“I cannot say enough positive things about Marianne.  She is kind, patient, knowledgeable, and encouraging. I am severely dyslexic, have a processing issue, and have ADD.  I saw Marianne on a regular basis throughout high school. She is incredibly patient and encouraged me to stretch beyond my limits. Every time I said “I can’t,” she challenged me and helped me see that I could.  I often felt overwhelmed by my work load, but she helped me tackle challenging assignments and larger school projects by breaking them down into manageable parts and guiding me through the process.  Without Marianne’s help and support, I would not have made it through high school.  She encouraged me, gave me self confidence, taught me to advocate for myself, and helped me learn the foundational skills that are necessary for success.  Because of her help and belief in my abilities, I was determined and able to attend college and graduate school, and now have a master’s degree. I am forever grateful to Marianne for enabling me to achieve my full potential.”
-Former student and college graduate