Jen has over 25 years of experience in education. She was a high school teacher for 18 years before moving into primary education for her last five years in the classroom. One of her three children is neurodivergent. It was following her dyslexia diagnosis that her daughter gained a greater understanding of the way she thinks and processes information. This helped her confidence blossom. This was then followed by her ASD and ADHD diagnoses. Jen believes passionately that fostering a greater understanding of neurodivergence, both for the individual and their family, can contribute to better mental health, wellbeing, confidence and therefore enjoyment in learning.
It was in her final year in mainstream education that Jen read The Gift of Dyslexia by Ron Davis. Her class that year had an unusually high proportion of children exhibiting dyslexic traits. For some of the pupils, the additional phonics support, which was mandated by the local authority, was being beneficial. However, for several pupils, this approach was not having any positive impact. Indeed, the repetition from previous years was undermining confidence in their reading even further.
A fortuitous conversation with a dyslexic colleague raised her awareness of phonics ‘non-responders’. In searching for alternative approaches, she found The Gift of Dyslexia and it instantly transformed her understanding of dyslexia and how many dyslexics think.
She completed the Davis Learning Strategies training and began to embed these strategies in her classroom. The impact was immediate and positive for all her struggling readers.
Since leaving teaching to build her tutoring business, she has trained as a Davis Facilitator and is excited to offer Davis programmes to those learners for whom hourly tutoring is insufficient or inadequately meeting their needs.
Jen loves that Davis programmes result in independent learners who understand how they learn best and can navigate the worlds of education and work more easily and enjoyably. Watching her clients’ confidence flourish is her priority.
She is currently completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) and will be offering dyslexia assessments from summer 2025.
Jen is well located for providing Davis programmes for children and adults based in Edinburgh and the Lothians. She works from her office in Leith, Edinburgh.
Licensed to provide:
Certifications:
Travel: I only work at my own premises
Online services: I only coach in person
Delivery Languages: EnglishEnglish
I can’t thank you enough. You’ve made the sessions fun and given E new skills and tools to help him navigate the world with his dyslexia. In the short time he has spent with you I’ve seen significant improvement in his reading fluency and speed. I’m eternally grateful for giving him the opportunity to learn the skills you were offering and kick starting that shift for him to make high school that little bit easier.
Lindsey (mum of E, age 11)
