Melanie & Claire

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.

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. 

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)

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