We hope you're having a wonderful summer!

We've had a productive start to the season adding new team members, meeting new students, training teachers, and connecting with others in the dyslexia community!

Below are highlights from our summer and details about upcoming events and projects.

Thank you to Angela Simon for hosting a fun dinner for Academic Language Therapists and Qualified Instructors in training at the center. Pictured on the left is Noel Leif of Springfield Center for Dyslexia & Learning, who is training a group of AR teachers through the AR Department of Education's awesome grant training program.

Jacquelyn Scalf

"I'm passionate about equal access to quality, evidenced-based literacy instruction, and believe that literacy is the foundation for all learning. The best part of teaching reading is the moment students realize, 'I can do this!' "

Jacquelyn is a Special Education Instructor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Arkansas and also sees students at the center part-time. She has extensive experience coaching special education teachers and specializes in effective, evidence-based literacy instruction—particularly for educators pursuing certification as Academic Language Therapists to support students with dyslexia.

Jacquelyn holds a master’s degree in reading and is certified in Special Education (grades 4–12). She is also a Certified Academic Language Therapist, a Qualified Instructor (QI), and currently serves as President of the Arkansas chapter of the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA AR).

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and her French Bulldog, Elli. A lover of travel, she recently explored Japan and looks forward to future adventures.

Angela Brasher

"My goal as I work with students is to instill a foundation of knowledge that each one can use to become an independent reader and a lifelong learner. It's exciting to watch as their confidence and enjoyment of reading grows. I am honored to have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on my students at Nelms Dyslexia Center. Good beginnings never end!"

Angela has been an educator in Arkansas for 35 years. Originally from Magnolia, she served 27 years in the Magnolia Public Schools as a classroom teacher and K-3 literacy coach. After moving to NWA, she worked as an elementary instructional facilitator and reading interventionist in the Springdale School District before retiring. Angela spent the previous year instructing at Brightwire Dyslexia Center in Bentonville. 

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education along with a Graduate Certificate in Reading/Literacy Coaching from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Center for Literacy, under Dr. Linda Dorn. Angela also completed a Graduate Certificate in TESOL from the University of Arkansas. She is now a Certified Academic Language Practitioner in training. 

Angela enjoys spending time with her family, especially grandson, Cooper. She loves taking care of her flower gardens and hopes to become a Master Gardener one day.  Angela’s happy place is the beach!

Meet the whole team!

Upcoming Events

Dyslexia Support Group for Parents

Thank you to all the parents who have attended the meetings and shared your obstacles and insight in your personal dyslexia journey. Great to see the support you are providing each other.

Some of the topics discussed so far: dyslexia basics, assessments, accommodations, dyslexia therapy, and student advocacy. We look forward to many more discussions, exploration, and learning together.

Consider participating to connect and grow with others in the dyslexia community.

A quote from one parent, "I've learned something new at every meeting!"

Arkansas Regional Dyslexia Conference - IDA Dallas Branch & University of Central Arkansas

If you're attending this conference on July 16th at UCA, stop by our table and say "hello". Our staff would love to meet you!

Learn more or register for the conference here!

Snapshots of our summer

Brightwire Training

Melissa recently trained a great group working towards ALTA certification as an Academic Language Practitioner in the Brightwire reading and spelling program.

This program is a great fit for those working toward Practitioner certification, and it's also a helpful tool for parents looking to support their child's reading and spelling at home. More training opportunities to come in the fall, stay tuned!

Learn more about Brightwire curriculum here.

CALT Training

Our first training cohort of Academic Language Therapists and Qualified Instructors in training wrapped up their 2nd summer training! We've had a lot of fun working with this group.

TOD Training

We had a full house for the TOD (Tests of Dyslexia) Training. Thanks to all who attended - we enjoyed spending the day with you!

We've had a lot of interest in this training and plan to offer more classes this fall.

Learn more about the TOD here.

Our team learned alot at the National ALTA Conference in Fort Worth, TX. The presentations were outstanding, and we always appreciate the opportunity to connect with others who are passionate and dedicated to supporting individuals with dyslexia.

Pictured are members from Arkansas!

Learn more about ALTA here.

Qualified Instructor Training

Qualified Instructors from across Arkansas met last month to hear about dyslexia updates from the Department of Education's Vicki King, discuss other needed training throughout the state, and identify more ways to collaborate and grow!

Thank you ALTA-AR for organizing this workshop. Thank you Patricia Elkins and Little Rock Christian Academy for hosting.

University of Arkansas visit

Jacquelyn Scalf and students from the University of Arkansas visited the center as part of their "Intro to Dyslexia" class. It was great visiting with them and having them shadow a reading session with some of our students.

Thank you!

London Shockley, Royal International Miss Arkansas Preteen 2025, is using her platform to spread awareness and support to the dyslexia community! She hosted a fun soiree to benefit the center. We're so grateful and inspired by you, London!

How can we help?

Interested in a specific training or dyslexia presentation for your group?

Please contact us!

We're always happy to spread awareness through basic Dyslexia 101 presentations or spend the day training your staff in one of our many professional development workshops.

Connect with us

www.nelmsdc.org

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Google & Facebook reviews appreciated!

Thank you for helping us spread the word to our community!