Our Team
Rachel Moore MD
In her work as a tutor for struggling readers, Rachel blends her strong scientific background from her time as a family physician with her decades of experience working creatively with children of all ages as an artist musician and teacher. She is well known amongst her students and peers as a highly creative and innovative instructor who seeks out unique solutions. In addition to her broad range of professional experiences, she is privileged to live with and advocate for a daughter and husband with dyslexia. She is a Certified Dyslexia Practitioner (Children’s Dyslexia Centers/IMSLEC).
Lauren Maffett M.Ed
Lauren knows dyslexia from the inside - she herself struggled with reading and spelling throughout her school years. This makes her an ideal guide for her students. Lauren has dedicated her entire career to education. She is a Pennsylvania certified public school teacher with a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist. Additionally, she is currently employed as a preschool director, giving her an inside view to the importance of early learning and early remediation for readers who learn differently. Lauren loves two amazing kids with amazing dyslexic brains! She is a Certified Dyslexia Practitioner (Children’s Dyslexia Centers/IMSLEC).
Jay Barnica, M.A.
Jay is an adjunct professor of English at Millersville University and an experienced tutor working with struggling students at H.A.C.C., Central Penn College and Millersville University. Jay is also a published poet and a kind, approachable person. In addition to his work as a tutor, Jay has taught our Elementary Poetry class and Middle School Learning Enrichment Across Disciplines (LEAD) class at the microSchool to the delight of little kids and teens alike. He is expert in assisting students with executive functioning skills and is additionally trained and very competent in our LRS Orton-Gillingham/Structured Word Inquiry approach to dyslexic learners.
Johanna Grossman, MOT
Johanna brings her 15 years of professional experience in the world of occupational therapy along with her experience assisting struggling first-grade learners at Sacred Heart School to her work with us at LRS. She is one of our busiest and most sought-after tutors because she has a real knack for working with kids. Johanna’s first rate academic background and dedication to young learners makes her a wonderful guide for our students.
Tara Orzech, M.A.
Tara is our “go to” tutor for all things math, especially our upper level students. She is a PA certified (grades 7 to 12) math teacher with a Masters degree in special education, so she is really adept at helping kids who struggle or who just need a different approach. Additionally, Tara is an experienced Learning Support teacher who knows how to help students organize their work across many different subject areas - English, science, history, humanities classes and so on. She knows how to help kids find their path as they grow. Tara is additionally cross trained in our OG-based, SWI reading curriculum which just expands her wide array of tools to help students of any age. She is a patient and positive tutor.
Sarah Bobal, M.Ed
Sarah is a Wilson Certified Reading Specialist as well as being cross-trained in the traditional Orton Gillingham method at the advanced level. She is a very experienced PA certified teacher, having taught kids from kindergarten through middle school, including at AIM Academy - one of the East Coast’s premier schools for children with language-based learning differences. She has had additional training in LETRS and RAVE-O. Her depth of knowledge and experience and personal kindness make her a wonderful match for our students. Sarah is available online only.
Peggy Caputo, M.S.
Peggy Caputo wanted to become a teacher ever since she was in the first grade. Her dedication and devotion to children has led her to develop into a successful educator. She comes to us with 33 years of teaching experience from preschool to sixth grade. Peggy is a dual certified teacher in general and special education with a masters degree in special education. She is also a certified dyslexia practitioner and has tutored all subjects in person and remotely. After living and teaching in New York and New Jersey she now enjoys living in Pennsylvania and appreciates the sense of community she has found here. When not working with children she enjoys hiking, cooking, baking, reading, completing puzzles and spending time with her husband and children. She loves reading mysteries and enjoys meeting up with her book club monthly. She is part of the microSchool community as well.
Nanci Cullinane, M.S.
Nanci is an experienced elementary classroom teacher (grades 1, 2, 3 and 5), certified in PA, who most recently taught for seven years in the Lebanon School District. Her Masters degree is in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum. She holds additional certification in ESL, grades K-12. She only just retired in June 2022 and, happily for us, wants to keep on teaching! We are so pleased to have a teacher of her stature and experience working with our students. In addition to tutoring, Nanci also spent a year teaching reading and math in our microSchool program in Lancaster. Despite all her experience, Nanci told us that her favorite thing is to “keep learning something new” which is such a refreshing approach and a great example for the kids.
Sunny Fox, B.A. English
Sunny has more than 20 years of education experience as a classroom teacher and paraprofessional with students from pre-K through 12th grade, in public, private, and home- school settings. While working in Chicago public schools with the learning support team, she fell in love with the students who struggle. As a dyslexic herself, she has a unique understanding of the challenges students face. She enjoys museums, reading, walking, baseball & motorcycling with her hubby. Sunny is also a reading instructor at LRS microSchool for our LRS 1 class.
Iris Lehman, M. Ed.
Iris has been teaching since she graduated in 1995. She worked for 6 years for Hempfield School District at the 4th grade level. In 2001 she earned her Master’s Degree in Education along with her Reading Specialist Certification. She went on to homeschool her 3 children, is a homeschool evaluator, and has been teaching classes at Cornerstone Co-op for over 20 years where she teaches writing, history, and literature. She has also taught Developmental Reading Courses at Harrisburg Community College. Not only does Iris enjoy reading, she is an avid tennis player. She has been coaching tennis for 23 years! All of these experiences with young people help her to understand that we all learn differently and approaches and methods need to be uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each individual.
Margaret Poplar, M.Ed.
Peg is a retired Special Education teacher with over 30 years of experience as a learning support teacher. She also holds Reading Specialist and ESL certificates. Peg is additionally trained in the Wilson Reading System (an Orton Gillingham based approach) alongside our OG and Structured Word Inquiry curriculum and is highly skilled at working with struggling readers. She is also approachable, kind and patient. Her favorite thing right now is spending time with her grandbaby.
Rebecca Shoener, M.Ed.,M.S.
Becka has over two decades of experience in the field of education including time as a public school Middle School Language Arts teacher, STEM designer and teacher at Snapology of Lancaster, Reading and York (which she owns) and as a professor and Program Director at HACC in the health sciences division. She is also the parent of a dyslexic son and has had a lifelong and profound interest in serving children who learn differently, which is what brought her to our doorstep at this juncture in her impressive career. She is experienced and skilled in making learning experiences available to kids with different learning needs including ASD and ADHD through her Snapology programs. And she taught her own son to read using the Orton Gillingham method in a time when services for dyslexia were few and far between. Becka is fully trained in our particular Orton Gillingham and Structured Word Inquiry curriculum and she is also a reading and math teacher in our microSchool program. She is great at engaging kids who are struggling in school.
Mary Ressler, M.A.
Mary is a Certified Reading Specialist is an experienced PA certified public school teacher currently teaching ELA in the Hempfield School District. She has previously successfully worked with struggling readers at La Academia in Lancaster and taught in city schools for over a decade. She conducted a year-long study of reading development in students at King Elementary school, administering and analyzing test data. Her innovative work in literacy has been recognized with grants and national prizes. Mary is fully trained in our specific Orton Gillingham and Structured Word Inquiry program in addition to her impressive toolbox of skills.
Abigail Kolmer, B.S.
Abbey holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is passionate about working with children who learn differently. As a registered behavior technician with experience supporting children on the autism spectrum through early intervention, she brings both academic knowledge and hands-on expertise to her tutoring practice. Abigail understands the emotional challenges students face when they struggle academically and approaches each child with genuine empathy and patience. Her kind, supportive teaching style creates a safe environment where students can build confidence alongside academic skills, helping them discover their unique strengths and develop effective learning strategies that work for them.
Ingrid Barnhart, M.Ed.
Ingrid Barnhart is a PA certified Special Education teacher with 30 years of experience teaching middle school ELA and learning support. She is additionally certified as a Reading Specialist. In addition to being fully trained in our specific Orton Gillingham and Structured Word Inquiry curriculum, Ingrid also has had training in the Wilson Reading system, which is a similar approach. Since her retirement from the public schools, Ingrid has been tutoring privately for Lancaster Reading Solutions and is currently teaching our combined literature and social studies class (LEAD) in our microSchool program.
Arianna Sindelar, B.S.
Arianna holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and currently works as a naturalist for Lancaster County Parks and Recreation, where she discovered her love for the educational aspect of her role. Her genuine passion for science and math shines through in her teaching, making complex concepts accessible and engaging for students. Arianna is now fully training in our specific Orton Gillingham and Structured Word Inquiry curriculum, combining her strong STEM background with evidence-based literacy instruction methods. Her unique blend of scientific expertise and dedication to structured learning approaches allows her to support students across multiple subject areas while fostering both academic growth and a love of learning.
John Burkholder, M.A.
John is a deeply experienced PA certified teacher with more than a decade and half of time working with students in public and private school settings. John has a heart for kids that find learning challenging and his expertise is in supporting students who learn differently. John has worked locally with students from elementary grades through high school at IU-13, Hempfield School District and currently at Lancaster County Christian School. He is a kind and compassionate tutor.
Kelly Jo Shelly, B.S.Ed
Kelly is a PA certified K-6 educator with a focus on science. Her experience as a Program Specialist in teaching English as a second language gives her valuable insight into the world of kids who learn language differently and she is trained and experienced in our LRS Orton Gillingham/Structured Word Inquiry approach to dyslexic learners. As a bonus, she also brings along her many creative experiences in outdoor adventuring as a leader in the amazing Tinkergarten program here in Lancaster. Kelly is a kind and patient teacher that can work with any child.