Click on SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT below
Meet the Team
Melanie, Sherry & Donna
Below is information on the Gateway Growth & Development team members.
Melanie Florsheim
Certified Academic Language Therapist
Melanie Florsheim, M.Ed., LDT, CALT is the mother of three children. Melanie has navigated through life having dyslexia herself and learned to read, write, and spell in elementary school through the same programs she uses to teach her students. She is a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist through the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. She received her Certified Academic Language Therapist training from SMU after completing over 700 practicum hours of direct, systematic, explicit instruction to students identified with dyslexia or reading disorders. She has experience with students in public and private school systems as well as in her private practice. Melanie has also served on Section 504 School Committees to help students with an educational diagnosis of dyslexia as well as develop the student's Individual Accommodation Plan supported under Section 504.
Melanie is the founder and director of Gateway Growth and Development that provides academic language therapy, academic support, and life coaching to Pre-K students through adult-aged individuals. She is a member of the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Melanie is also recognized by the International Dyslexia Association as a Certified Academic Therapist.
Education and Training
Her training includes the Take Flight: Comprehensive Dyslexia Intervention Program, Rite Flight: A Fluency and Comprehension Program for Effective Reading Instruction and Pre-Flight: A Introduction for Young Students to Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia. Each program emphasizes phonemic awareness and comprehension and was developed by the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC).
Melanie received her Bachelor of Science Interdisciplinary Studies and Early Childhood Education while graduating Cum Laude from Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas in 1994. Her prior work experience includes over 20 years in the classroom teaching all levels of elementary school in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia.
Melanie later received her Masters degree in Education from Southern Methodist University while she completed the Academic Language Therapy Program.
Melanie continues to strive for excellence in her field of expertise through obtaining a minimum of 10 hours of CEUs each year in the area of dyslexia.
Certifications
Certified by Texas State Board of Education: Early Childhood through 6th Grade
Licensed as Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) from Southern Methodist University
Licensed Dyslexic Therapist (LDT)
Certified Special Education
Certified Gifted and Talented
Trained in MTA, A Multisensory Teaching Approach, an Orton-Gillingham program
Trained in Alphabetic Phonics
Trained in Take Flight, A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia
Earning a Certification as an ADHD, Family, and Life Coach from ADDCA
Member of International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), and ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO)
Experience
Dyslexia Therapist at Trivium Academy, a Texas Public Charter School
Founder and Director of Gateway Growth and Development, Private Practice
Founder and Director of Learning Your Way Learning Lab, an education resource center at Grace Academy of North Texas and Carrollton Christian Academy, Kindergarten through 12th grade
Teacher in Coppell ISD, Texas, Kindergarten and 3rd Grade
Teacher in Cobb County School District, Smyrna, Georgia, 4th Grade and Piloted a Multiage 3rd/4th Grade Classroom
Teacher at Faith Lutheran School, Harahan, Louisiana, 4th Grade
Sherry McPherson
Certified Academic Language Therapist and Teacher
Sherry McPherson is a dedicated educator with over 30 years of experience spanning homeschool, private education, and public education. She holds a double major in Elementary Education and Bible from Columbia International University. Sherry discovered her passion for dyslexia therapy after witnessing the impact of learning challenges within her own family.
In 2020, Sherry completed the two-year academic language therapy training program at McKinney Christian Academy’s Multi-Sensory Teacher Training Center, where she was trained in the Scottish Rite Take Flight Dyslexia Program and gained a dyslexia therapy certification. For the past seven years, Sherry has provided dyslexia therapy to students in Allen ISD and now partners with Gateway Growth and Development in private practice, where she continues to help students build confidence and achieve success in their learning.
Outside of her work, Sherry enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Donna Pierce
Certified Academic Language Therapist and Teacher
Donna Pierce has 28 years of teaching experience and is currently a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) with over six years of experience helping students overcome dyslexia and other reading challenges for Allen ISD. Donna graduated with a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Texas Tech University and received her academic language therapy training from McKinney Christian Academy. Her lifelong passion for teaching stems from a deep belief that every child deserves the opportunity to experience success and confidence in learning.
As both an educator and a parent of a child with dyslexia, Donna brings personal insight into the emotional journey families face—the challenges, the breakthroughs, and the joy of progress. She is committed to creating a positive, encouraging environment where students feel safe to take risks, build skills, and reach their full potential.
Outside of her professional work, Donna enjoys spending time with her family, reading, traveling, and continuing to learn about the latest developments in literacy education.
........