Tara Mark
Tara Mark
Third Grade LS Teacher
tmark@eastpennsd.org
Willow Lane Elementary School
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Meet Mrs. Mark
Meet Mrs. Mark
Tara Mark is a third-grade learning support teacher at Willow Lane Elementary School. She has been teaching in East Penn as special education teacher since 2006. Her favorite subject to teach is ELA and writing. She is trained in Orton- Gillingham. Mrs. Mark is a proud graduate of Kutztown University and Wilkes University. She has bachelor degree in Elementary Education K-6 and Special Education degree newborn -21 years old. Her master degree is in classroom technology. Mrs. Mark's passion is working with students who struggle in the areas of reading, phonics, and writing and helping them grow confident in these areas and learn to be avid readers and writers.
Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Mark has 2 children, Hunter and Chloe, who attend the Kutztown School District. Her husband, Mr. Mark, is a STEM teacher in the Brandywine Heights Intermediate school. She also has a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Zuri.
When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. Mrs. Mark loves playing tennis, hiking, going to the beach, and reading books. She is an avid Disney fan and loves the Steelers.
My Current Courses
My Current Courses
I teach interventions in both reading and math. The interventions I teach are Orton-Gillingham and iReady.
Orton-Gillingham
Orton-Gillingham
The Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach is a structured, multisensory, and phonics-based method for teaching reading, spelling, and writing, particularly designed for individuals with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Developed by Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham, this approach breaks language down into smaller components and teaches them in a systematic, explicit, and cumulative manner.
Key features of OG include:
Multisensory Instruction – Engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (hands-on) learning to reinforce concepts.
Structured and Sequential – Teaching skills in a logical order, from simple to complex.
Explicit and Direct Teaching – Clearly explaining concepts and rules of language.
Diagnostic and Prescriptive – Continually assessing student progress and adjusting instruction accordingly.
OG is widely used in one-on-one or small-group settings to help struggling readers develop phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. It has influenced many reading intervention programs and is recognized as one of the most effective methods for supporting learners with dyslexia.
Math i-Ready
Math i-Ready
My i-Ready math intervention group works on skills that they have been struggling with in the i-Ready math program on more individual based lesson. We break down the skill we are working on using the intervention lessons provided by the i-Ready program. I use reteach and spiral review to help students understand and master concepts that they are having a hard time grasping. I try to make it a multi-sensory approach and give explicit and direct teaching of the concepts. Students can collaborate with each other as well. I progress monitor students using different assessments and the diagnostic test given each trimester to track their growth.
What supplies do I need?
What supplies do I need?
You don't need all of these supplies. We will have some available in the classroom for all students to use.
1 sturdy backpack
2 packs of #2 pencils (pre-sharpened preferred)
1 pencil case or box
2 erasers (pink or white)
1 pack of colored pencils or crayons
1 pack of washable markers
2 highlighters (different colors)
2 dry-erase markers (low odor)
1 pair of scissors (child-safe)
2 glue sticks
2 wide-ruled spiral notebooks (different colors for subjects)
6 pocket folders (durable, different colors)
1 pack of loose-leaf wide-ruled paper
2 sets of headphones or earbuds (for classroom technology use)
Let's Get Connected
Let's Get Connected
You can always email me with questions, but the best way to see what we're doing in class and if your child has assignments coming up is by getting connected on the following program!
Seesaw
Seesaw
This is my primary means of communication. I will send out weekly updates on Seesaw.
Technology Questions?
Technology Questions?
Check out our Family Tech Resources Website! The purpose of this site is to provide both students and families of the East Penn School District resources on the technology they are using in the classroom. Some of the resources are created by East Penn, while others may be created by the companies themselves.
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