The seed of Roots of Learning was planted back when founder Kelsey Young was in the first grade. She struggled to read and spell despite being a hard-working student. She memorized books and spelling words to compensate for her difficulty with sounding out new words, and she dreaded her classroom’s daily read-aloud sessions. While friends moved on to chapter books, she struggled through See Spot Run. Background noise made paying attention impossible, and finding joy in learning seemed forever out of reach.
After a referral from a keenly observant teacher, Kelsey was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). Through research-based remedial programs and dedicated intervention from educational therapists, the puzzle pieces of learning fell into place for Kelsey. Kelsey brings this unique first-hand experience to her work with students. She strives to create an empathetic, motivating, and supportive learning program for students just like her.
“I am passionate about education because I have walked the same path my students are on. My goal is to help all children become resilient life-long learners.”
-Kelsey Young
Kelsey young is…
An Educational Therapist, Nutritionist, and founder of Roots of Learning. She received her B.A. in Psychology along with a minor in Business Administration from Sonoma State University in 2008 and went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Education and certificate in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University in 2011.
Roots of Learning was founded in 2014 to provide highly customized, 1:1 instruction for children with learning differences. With over 15 years of teaching experience, Kelsey has supported learners through 1:1 educational therapy, academic tutoring, and consultative services with educational teams. Kelsey has worked in both private practice and as a faculty member at a K-6th school developing their on-site learning center and integrating evidence-based educational therapy techniques into classroom instruction. Kelsey has also developed an executive function program aimed at supporting student readiness and creating independent, successful students from elementary through high school and beyond. In addition to her hands-on work as an educational therapist, Kelsey also serves as an instructor in the Education department at the University of Riverside and teaches graduate courses in educational therapy theory and techniques.
Motivated and informed by her own health struggles, Kelsey went on to research the impact of nutrition on learning challenges as well. She wrote her master’s thesis on nutritional intervention and ADD/ADHD in 2011 and received a certification in Clinical Nutrition from The Natural Healing Institute of Naturopathy 3 years later. For families seeking a holistic approach to learning differences, Kelsey combines her education and nutritional expertise to develop individualized wellness plans to optimize learning.