About Us
Orton Gillingham trainers and tutors use proven principles to help students become successful readers.
While the industry term is ‘tutor,’ we are much more than that. We are practitioners who have spent time: studying the most recent brain science, reviewing data that supports reading acquisition, understanding orthography, learning methods for being diagnostic and prescriptive, and/while understanding the need for being emotionally sound.
We recognize that struggling readers have parents who are struggling as well. We seek to partner with you by providing a reading path for your child, and support for you in your dyslexia journey.
We see dyslexia as a superpower for our students. We appreciate dyslexic thinking and are excited for the future of our students. We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm with you and your child.
Kelly Kirkland
Founding Partner
Kelly is one of the founding partners of TAP Learning Services. She is a Fellow-in-Training with the Orton Gillingham Academy and holds a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia and an M.A. in Counseling.
​
TAP Learning Services, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, was created to address the needs of the dyslexic community. As one of the founding partners of TAP Learning Services, Kelly provides tutoring to students, guidance to parents, mentorship to tutors, and training to teachers in both private and public schools. In addition to the Orton Gillingham Academy, she is a member of the International Dyslexia Association and the Center for Effective Reading Instruction.
​
Kelly's expertise has led her to present at the Orton Gillingham Academy Conference on the social and emotional components of learning disabilities, and she continues to work with students and parents in this realm today. On a personal level, Kelly proudly mentions that she has had the privilege of raising three sons alongside her wildly dyslexic husband.
​
Beth Mares
Founding Partner
Beth is one of the founding partners of TAP Learning Services. She is a Fellow with the Orton-Gillingham Academy. She holds a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Georgia and a M.Ed. in Teaching Reading from Mercer University.
As one of the founding partners of TAP Learning Services, Beth provides Orton-Gillingham tutoring to students, guidance to parents, and Orton-Gillingham training and mentorship to tutors and public and private school teachers. In addition to the Orton-Gillingham Academy, she is also a member of the International Dyslexia Association.
Beth has provided in-person and virtual training in the Orton-Gillingham Academy Classroom Educator course and Associate course. She has also provided training in morphology, grammar, and interpreting psycho-educational assessments. Beth and her husband have three adult children and one daughter-in-law.
​
Josie Calamari
Trainer
Josie Calamari is a local in Atlanta, GA, and has been in the field of learning disabilities for 20 years. She has a BA in History and an M.Ed. in Reading Instruction from the University of Georgia. Josie is a Fellow of the Orton-Gillingham Academy and has served on the International Dyslexia Association, Georgia Branch’s Board of Directors.
She has worked with dyslexic students of all ages as a classroom teacher, independent tutor, and teacher trainer. In addition to her work with students, Josie has worked with parents to understand a child’s psychological testing and appropriate school or classroom environments. Ultimately, she believes that as practitioners, we offer hope to students searching for understanding and assurance to teachers searching for solutions.
