Our
Team

White geometric square iconography - The Centre for Literacy & Learning

The Centre for Literacy & Learning has provided assessment and tutoring services to families in Oakville-Burlington and surrounding areas for 25+ years. It was founded by Carol Jepson (Educational Consultant) in 1994.

Irene Lembesis

Co-Director

Irene has an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Exceptionality in Human Learning and Psychology (University of Toronto) and a postgraduate diploma – Communicative Disorders Assistant (Georgian College).  She began her career as a Communicative Disorders Assistant, where she gained a wealth of experience with children with Learning Disabilities, Hearing Impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Intellectual Disabilities.  Since 2004, Irene has utilized her strong language/literacy skills within her roles as remedial instructor and Associate Director at the Centre for Literacy & Learning. She is a member of the International Dyslexia Association (Ontario Chapter) and actively pursues continuing education opportunities (e.g., Direct Instruction training in Eugene, Oregon).

Laura Cheeseman

Co-Director

Laura is an OCT certified teacher who has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Bachelor of Education Degree (Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax).  She has over 10 years of experience working in education – as a tutor with the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia, an elementary teacher in a variety of classroom and resource settings, and as Program Director at the Centre for Literacy & Learning.  Laura has experience with children with Learning Disabilities, English as a Second Language, and a broad spectrum of mental health and developmental disorders.  She is a member of the Learning Disability Association of Ontario.  Laura is a life-long learner who continually adds to her understanding of dyslexia and reading/writing difficulties, as well as to her repertoire of teaching skills (e.g., Foundations of Orton-Gillingham, Project Read: Framing Your Thoughts).

Carol Jepson

Founder & Consultant

Carol is the founder of the Centre for Literacy & Learning and she currently acts as a consultant within the company.  Carol has 40 years of experience within the field of Special Education.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Science – Rehabilitation Medicine (Queen’s University), a Masters Degree in Special Education (University of Santa Clara), and a Masters Degree in Applied Psychology (University of Toronto – OISE).  Throughout her career, Carol has conducted educational and psychological assessments of school-aged children, consulted with parents and teachers, and taught students with learning disabilities.

Our Talented Tutors

Our team of professional tutors are either:  a) qualified teachers who are members of the Ontario College of Teachers or b) Communicative Disorders Assistants who have extensive experience working with language and literacy-based issues.  They are chosen for the following qualities:

  • Strong interpersonal skills – warm, patient, and positive.  Our students often lack self-esteem withrespect to their academic performance and they respond best within a safe, nurturing learning environment.
  • Excellent ability to teach/instruct – able to provide explicit, direct instruction and naturally use techniques such as scaffolding, modelling, inclusion of multi-sensory cues, etc. 
  • Enthusiasm for lifelong learning.
  • Well-developed communication skills – able to communicate effectively with clients, parents, and with the Directors (with regards to student goals & progress).  We value ongoing, open dialogue at all levels.  

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
– Margaret Fuller

The Centre For Literacy & Learning

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© 2024 The Centre for Literacy & Learning

COVID-19 UPDATE

Keeping everyone safe is our utmost priority. Please note that safety protocols and protective equipment are in place for in-person sessions. In particular, we have taken the following steps:

Entrance Health Screening:  Anyone entering the building will be required to complete the Covid screening assessment.

Physical Distancing and Limited Capacity:  We have closed our pediatric toy room and have very limited seating in our waiting room.  In addition, we are staggering student tutoring hours so that there is minimum cross-traffic.  Finally, we are encouraging parents and caregivers to wait in their cars rather than in the waiting room.

Protective Equipment:  Masks must be worn in all areas of the office. Inside the tutoring room, there will be a plexiglass divider on the table for additional protection.

Cleaning/Sanitization:  There is a sanitizing station located at the front door.  We also have a designated washroom used only by clients of The Centre for Literacy & Learning. All shared surfaces and touch points will be disinfected by the tutor between clients.  Furthermore, clients will have their own binders and writing materials so these will not be shared among others.

Following Guidelines:  We are keeping up to date with regional guidelines to ensure that we are operating to the highest standard.

In the event of another shutdown to curb the number of Covid-19 cases, we will switch to online sessions in order to maintain the consistency required by our students.