About Lisa Pharr, M.Ed., LDT, CALT

I have over 20 years of teaching experience and have been a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) since 2021.  My training was through McKinney Christian Academy in McKinney, TX under the supervision of Dr. Beverly Dooley from 2019-2021.  I offer dyslexia therapy in the Allen, Fairview, Parker and Lucas, TX area for elementary-aged students using the Build and Take Flight program developed by the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Texas Scottish Rite for Children.

I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Kansas State University and my Master of Science Degree in Reading from Texas A & M University-Commerce.  I am a licensed Dyslexia Therapist in the state of Texas, CALT certified with ALTA, and Special Education certified. 

I would be happy to share my licenses and certificates with you upon request. 

About Take Flight

Take Flight is an evidence-based, structured, sequential, multisensory two year reading program that improves word recognition, fluency, and comprehension.  This program is grounded in decades of research, based on the Orton-Gillingham approach which rewires the way the brain processes language.  The program is for children Second grade on.

About Build

Build is a program is for children in Kindergarten and First Grade who have been identified as at risk for dyslexia.  The 100-lesson program focuses on the alphabet, letter & sound knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary and comprehension.   

About Dyslexia Therapy

Dyslexia therapy is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is highly structured instruction that breaks reading and spelling down into smaller skills and builds on these skills over time.   The core principles are that instruction is:

Multisensory:  Integrates VAKT (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) learning.

Structured, sequential & cumulative:  Concepts are taught directly and explicitly in a logical order, moving from simple to complex concepts which build upon previous skills learned.

Flexible, diagnostic, & prescriptive:  Lessons are continuously customized based on strengths and weaknesses.

Components of dyslexia therapy instruction include:

Phonological awareness

Sound-symbol association

Decoding

Sight word recognition

Syllabication (how words are broken down into syllables)

Morphology (prefixes, suffixes, roots & combining forms)

Spelling

Reading comprehension

Reading fluency

Vocabulary

Syntax (grammar)

Semantics (the meaning of language)

Orthography (the system for written language)

Cursive handwriting