Reading Specialist with a PhD in Linguistics

Justin M.

Dyslexia

have more than 20 years of experience working with students who have dyslexia and other significant reading difficulties. My approach uses a specialized interactive-constructivist methodology designed to identify and remediate the underlying processing difficulties that interfere with decoding, fluency, comprehension, and reading efficiency. After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent nearly seven years working for an educational firm specializing in reading instruction for students with a wide range of reading challenges, including dyslexia. During that time, I traveled extensively throughout the United States helping establish reading programs in K–12 schools and college-level settings. I worked directly with students of all ages and ability levels and also trained teachers and teaching assistants in this specialized reading methodology. My goal is not simply to help students compensate for reading difficulties, but to identify the specific processes interfering with reading and help students develop more effective, accurate, and confident reading skills.

Elementary (K-6th)

I have more than 15 years of experience working with elementary-age students, with particular expertise in reading and language development. I tutor K–6 students in reading, English, Spanish, math, study skills, and other core academic areas, adapting instruction to each child’s strengths, needs, and learning style. After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent nearly seven years working as an educational consultant specializing in reading instruction for K–12 schools. During that time, I traveled extensively throughout the United States helping establish reading programs in elementary, middle, and high school settings. I worked directly with students at all grade levels and also trained teachers and teaching assistants in specialized instructional methods. My approach with younger students is patient, structured, and highly individualized. I focus not only on helping students complete their current schoolwork, but also on strengthening the underlying academic and learning skills they need to become more confident and independent students.

ESL/ESOL

I have extensive experience teaching English to adult learners in both community and professional settings. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a literacy tutor with Mason County Literacy, providing instruction at a community center as well as at the Thurston County corrections facility in Washington. Since then, I have worked as a private tutor with individuals and corporate clients, teaching both general English and business English. I can help students strengthen speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and professional communication skills. My background in linguistics gives me specialized training in language structure and language acquisition, which allows me to explain English clearly and adapt instruction to the needs of individual learners. I work with students at different proficiency levels and tailor lessons to their personal, academic, or professional goals. My goal is to help students become more confident, effective, and independent users of English in both everyday and professional settings.

Linguistics

I hold a Ph.D. and M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin and teach linguistics at the University of California. My specialization is in documentary and descriptive linguistics, with particular interests in morphology, morphophonology, phonetics, phonology, and tone languages. I have taught courses including Introduction to Linguistics, the Structure of Spanish, Sociolinguistics, Native American Languages, and Linguistic Field Methods. I can help students with both introductory and advanced topics in linguistics, including phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, sociolinguistics, language documentation, linguistic analysis, and field methods. I especially enjoy helping students work through problem sets, understand linguistic data, develop analytical skills, and strengthen papers and research projects in linguistics.

Phonics

I am a Reading Specialist with a Ph.D. in Linguistics and more than 20 years of experience helping students overcome reading difficulties, including dyslexia and other language-processing challenges. My approach uses a specialized interactive-constructivist methodology designed to address the underlying processing difficulties that interfere with learning to read fluently, accurately, and with strong comprehension. Many struggling readers have already received extensive instruction in phonics and other conventional reading strategies. Simply repeating the same type of instruction often does not address the reason a student continues to struggle. My work therefore focuses on providing a different approach—one that identifies the specific processes interfering with reading and helps the student reorganize and strengthen those processes so that lasting improvement can occur. After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent nearly seven years working as an educational consultant for a company specializing in reading instruction. During that time, I traveled extensively throughout the United States helping establish reading programs in K–12 schools and colleges. I also trained teachers and teaching assistants in this specialized methodology, with an emphasis on remediating the underlying processing difficulties responsible for persistent reading problems. Since 2016, I have worked directly with students of all ages in the San Diego area, helping them develop stronger, more efficient, and more confident reading skills. I also teach linguistics at the University of California, San Diego, where my expertise in phonetics, phonology, and language structure informs my understanding of how spoken and written language interact. My goal is not simply to help students perform better on individual reading tasks, but to produce lasting changes in the way they process written language so that reading becomes easier, more natural, and more successful.

Reading

I am a Reading Specialist with an M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics and more than 20 years of experience helping students overcome mild to severe reading difficulties, including dyslexia and other language- and processing-related challenges. I have extensive experience working with neurodivergent students and specialize in providing individualized, long-term solutions for students whose reading difficulties have persisted despite previous instruction or intervention. My approach uses a specialized interactive-constructivist methodology designed to identify and remediate the underlying processing difficulties that interfere with reading fluency, comprehension, efficiency, and confidence. Rather than simply repeating conventional reading instruction that a struggling reader may already have received, I focus on understanding what is preventing that individual student from reading successfully and using a different approach to produce lasting improvement. Before graduate school, I spent nearly seven years working as an educational consultant for a company specializing in reading instruction. During that time, I traveled extensively throughout the United States helping establish reading programs in K–12 schools and colleges. I also trained teachers and teaching assistants in this specialized methodology and worked directly with students with a wide range of reading difficulties. From 2016 through 2024, I worked extensively with students of all ages in San Diego County, helping them overcome persistent reading problems and become stronger, more efficient, and more confident readers. I also teach linguistics at the University of California, San Diego, where my background in language structure, phonetics, phonology, and language processing informs my approach to reading instruction. My goal is not simply to help students cope with a reading problem, but to address the underlying difficulties that are preventing them from reading well so that improvement can be lasting and meaningful.

Spanish

I hold a B.A. in Spanish and have studied abroad in both Granada, Spain, and Oaxaca, Mexico. I have extensive experience working with both younger learners and adults through private tutoring, and I tailor instruction to each student’s level, goals, and learning style. At the University of Texas at Austin, I taught beginning and intermediate Spanish courses. At the University of California, San Diego, I have taught the Structure of Spanish since 2018, working with students on Spanish grammar, sound patterns, word structure, and the broader organization of the language. As a linguist, I bring a specialized understanding of how languages are structured and how they are learned. This allows me to explain Spanish grammar and usage in ways that are clear, systematic, and practical rather than relying only on memorization. I can work with students on conversation, pronunciation, grammar, reading, writing, and overall language development, from beginning through advanced levels. My goal is to help students not only improve their Spanish, but also understand how the language works so they can become more confident and independent speakers, readers, and writers.