Rocky Mountain Literacy & Child Development

Robin A. Litt, Ph.D.

Literacy Assessment and Intervention

Dr. Litt has over 15 years of experience working with children in educational, clinical, and private intervention settings. She is experienced in working with children with literacy and language disorders such as dyslexia and poor comprehension, as well as children whose difficulties co-occur with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or anxiety. She is recognized as a highly qualified service provider for children with dyslexia by the International Dyslexia Association. Dr. Litt provides evidence-based literacy assessment and intervention, using a Structured Literacy Approach grounded in Orton-Gillingham methods.

Before opening Rocky Mountain Literacy and Child Development, Dr. Litt worked as a clinician at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes in Colorado where she administered the LiPS®, Seeing Stars®, and Visualizing and Verbalizing® programs. She then spent four years at the University of Oxford completing her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, where her research focus was on the cognitive underpinnings of dyslexia. During this time, Dr. Litt also worked as a contracted school dyslexia specialist and tutor for the Oxfordshire Dyslexia Association. Following this, Dr. Litt moved to Sydney, Australia to take up a three-year research position at Macquarie University, where she also continued her clinical work with children with language and literacy disorders. While at Macquarie University, Dr. Litt sought out additional training and became an accredited provider of the Cool Kids® anxiety treatment program.

In addition to her background in educational therapy, Dr. Litt has a strong research background focused on reading development and dyslexia. She earned her D.Phil (Ph.D.) from the University of Oxford in the UK and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Center of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders at Macquarie Univeristy in Sydney, Australia. She continues her involvement in research as a member of the L.E.a.R.N. Lab (Learning Exceptionalities and Related Neuropsychology), headed by Dr. Lauren McGrath at the University of Denver. Dr. Litt has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles on literacy development and literacy disorders and continues to be an active member of the research community. A list of her publications can be found here.

Nancy Blum, M.A.Ed, M.S.W.

Literacy Intervention

Nancy has been working with elementary age students for the past 25 years. In her role as a Literacy Specialist in Littleton Public Schools, she provided literacy intervention services for students in grades K-5, using a Structured Literacy approach in both small group and 1:1 settings.

Nancy’s Structured Literacy approach is grounded in Orton-Gillingham principles and instructional practices. She has received extensive OG training, as well as training in other OG based programs. She incorporates resources, reading materials, and strategies acquired through years of professional practice and training.

Nancy uses a strength based approach to teaching, by learning about, building on, and reinforcing the skills and talents of her students. She is passionate about providing instruction that engages and motivates students, accelerates their learning, and builds self-esteem and confidence.

A strong advocate for students with language based learning differences, Nancy is on the Board of the Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. She is committed to building awareness and understanding of learning differences, as well as best practices for literacy instruction, through her volunteer work with IDA. 

Stephanie Stauber, M.A. Reading

Literacy Intervention

Stephanie has been working with students for over 20 years in a variety of setting and roles.  She has been a classroom educator, literacy coach and interventionist in schools, clinics and private practice.  In addition to providing reading intervention services, Stephanie has also helped design grade specific reading curriculum, create home to school literacy connections and hosted an early childhood literacy program.  Stephanie has also served as president of her community’s school accountability committee to help promote equitable and science-based reading instruction for all children.

Stephanie is a credentialed educator in the areas of early childhood education, elementary education and literacy development/intervention.  She holds a master’s degree in advanced literacy studies from Teachers College, Columbia University.  While in graduate studies, Stephanie focused on the underpinnings of reading development, assessment of reading difficulties and researched-based interventions for students diagnosed with dyslexia. Additionally, Stephanie is an Associate Level Orton Gillingham Tutor through the Orton Gillingham Academy.  Stephanie has also had training in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling).

Stephanie’s teaching philosophy comes from a passion to help students be engaged and successful in their reading journey.  While teaching in Denver, Stephanie was a district awarded teacher based on her passion for connecting with students and exemplary teaching practices.  Stephanie is dedicated to creating lessons that are tailored to each student’s strengths and specific needs and strives to help all students reach their potential and learn to love reading.

Tracy McCandless, M.A. Reading

Literacy Intervention

Tracy has been working in the public school system with elementary-aged students for 30 years. For the past 18 years, Tracy served as an instructional coach, classroom teacher, and literacy specialist in the Littleton Public Schools. In these roles she was responsible for providing general education services, curriculum support and professional development for teachers, and structured literacy support for reading in both small-group and 1:1 settings. 

Tracy is licensed through the state of Colorado as a reading specialist for K-12th grade. She has received extensive training in Orton-Gillingham as well as other OG-based programs and has completed 2 years of training with LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), a program that supports teachers in using the most current reading science to teach reading, writing, and spelling. 

Tracy’s approach to instruction always involves identifying strengths and passions of her students. By developing strong relationships with students, she is able to choose from the many resources and strategies acquired over many years to motivate and engage students to accelerate their learning. 

Tracy’s passion is learning. She continues to hone her practice and seek opportunities to study and learn about the science of reading. She is a member of the International Literacy Association and the International Dyslexia Association. Her passion to continue providing the best intervention for students with learning differences drives her to seek opportunities to use the most effective strategies and techniques for her students. 

Ellen Rigg, M.A., CCC-SLP

Literacy Assessment

Ellen Rigg is a Speech-Language Pathologist who is passionate about helping struggling readers and writers build their language and literacy skills. She uses a Structured Literacy approach to intervention, which is grounded in the science of reading and writing. As a speech-language pathologist, she is well-suited to identify and address both the written and oral language needs of struggling readers. Addressing oral language difficulties is important as well-developed oral language skills are the foundation for later-developing literacy skills.

Ellen has received training in structured literacy approaches including the Orton-Gillingham approach (Associate level) and SPELL-Links. Her lessons are carefully designed to target each child's needs, while also helping the student to realize their own strengths and abilities in order to build their motivation and self-confidence. She is also dedicated to helping parents better understand their child's learning strengths, weaknesses, and how to best support their child's literacy development at home. In summary, Ellen strives to remove barriers to identification, diagnosis, and effective treatments so that children can reach their maximum potential and enjoy reading and writing.