About Us
Lois Nunes has been helping young learners with learning difficulties to reach their learning potential for the past twenty years. She has a Masters in Literacy education and has a C-grade accreditation with the New Zealand Council of Educational Research, which qualifies her to assess patterns of strengths and weakness in key cognitive, academic and linguistic areas. She started CornerstoneNZ in 2014 to focus on assessment and teaching of students with learning difficulties.
She also conducts assessments for SPELD (a not for profit organisation that aims to help children and adults who are not realising their educational potential). Lois is passionate about making a difference and finding learning solutions that work for her clients that are research-based. To this end she incorporates Dr Lillian Fawcett’s ‘Cracking the ABC Code’ methodology into lessons. Lois is the NZ distributor for Cracking the ABC Code programme materials.
The CornerstoneNZ Process
An assessment involves approximately four and a half hours of work with a client. Amazingly enough, young clients usually bounce out of the session, happy and excited about all they have done. Small modules of work which are referred to as ‘puzzles’ are explained and scaffolded before attempted. Most of the ‘puzzles’ take approximately five minutes to complete. The continuous ‘change of activity’ tends to keep the client focussed. During breaks non-test related games are played, or alternatively clients complete a small craft project or even head to the kitchen to do some baking. Younger clients are offered two sessions (each lasting a couple of hours).
Adults can expect a relaxed approach to assessment, with plenty of opportunity to chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Adults often need ideas that they can utilise in their workplace, or strategies they can incorporate to support success in terms of further study.
Reports are detailed documents with a clear explanation as to a client’s area of strengths and/or weakness and what this means for the learner in terms of every day functioning. Depending on the area of need and the individual tested, comprehensive recommendations are provided for parents, teachers and possibly the client. In many cases, clients will need an individualised programme to help them to be successful with learning. This is where a SPELD trained teacher can assist. SPELD teachers use the data and recommendations from the WJIV report to structure a tailor-made learning plan.
Physical environment
CornerstoneNZ is a home-based business set in the Eastern Suburbs of Auckland. There is parking and a dedicated office for clients on site.
Atmosphere
It is crucial to put young clients at ease. Lois never starts an assessment until her clients are happy and relaxed. This might mean playing a game, partaking in a hot chocolate complete with marshmallows or learning more about how the brain is an amazing pattern detector, which, with the right mindset and strategies, one can achieve anything!
E-mail is our preferred form of contact. Send us a brief message with your contact details so we can discuss your assessment requirements. Also check out our website: cornerstonenz.co.nz for more information regarding assessments and pricing.
Services
Cognitive and Achievement assessments
WJIV Assessment
Assessment to support application for extra assistance with NCEA examinations.
Referrals to specialist services
Recommendations for schools
Touch Type Read and Spell programme
Cracking ABC Code literacy programme
Services
Cognitive and Achievement assessments
WJIV Assessment
Assessment to support application for extra assistance with NCEA examinations.
Referrals to specialist services
Recommendations for schools
Touch Type Read and Spell programme
Cracking ABC Code literacy programme
Following an initial assessment in April, my daughter and I have been fortunate enough to enjoy an hour each week with Lois. My daughter loves these sessions and looks forward to them. I’m always amazed at how much Lois packs into an hour. She creates a wonderfully fun and relaxing environment, while engaging my daughter every moment in rich learning. My daughter and I leave motivated and equipped to work on ‘course work’ together in short sessions throughout the week. I believe I have gained lots of strategies to support not only my daughter but my other children with their school work. Importantly, my daughter has grown in confidence since starting these sessions. She’ll now tell me reading is her favourite school subject, and those involved in her learning are amazed at her recent progress since starting this programme.
Lois is an amazing teacher. She is very passionate about making a difference for the children that she works with. She understands how to make challenging tasks motivating and fun for children. She is also very professional and her knowledge is very evident in the way works with our son.
“Our nine year old son, took a SPELD assessment with Lois from CornerstoneNZ in October 2018. He was pretty anxious before starting because he had understood the assessment would last for several hours. Lois was fantastic in making our son feel comfortable throughout the assessment, making sure they would stop when he needed to (she even proposed me to join for a short board game), building trust very quickly – I could hear lots of laughs from the room aside. As a conclusion when we debriefed in the car on the way out, our son was actually thrilled with his day since he spent very good and playful moments, with the right level of challenge. Thank you so much!”
J & G Lepelletier
