Dr. June Starkey OCT, PhD
Expert Reading Intervention Coach
Dr. June Starkey, OCT, PhD (OISE/University of Toronto), brings 30+ years as an Ontario-certified educator, designing K-16+ curriculum and facilitation in English and French. After an award-winning 17-year career in French Immersion, she founded Great Brain Learning in 2006—Ontario's first private, evidence-based bilingual learning clinic. Over the last 20 years, Dr. June has served 1,000+ families nationwide with inclusive, transformative learning interventions for ALL, including exceptional and intellectually gifted students, and neurodivergent learners.
Specializing in phonemic awareness, French immersion pedagogy, and literacy development, Dr. June's research-informed practice (International Baccalaureate Program, exceptional education) equips students with metacognitive strategies for deep conceptual understanding, academic integrity, and lifelong achievement.
Dr. June teaches students to build lifelong habits that make learning sustainable, practical, and deeply effective. When learners see proof that they can learn, their confidence—and their learning journey—change forever.
June Starkey's Qualifications
B.A., B.Ed., M.A., and PhD
With 30+ years in education, including recent work as a professor/chargée de cours in the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, Dr. June’s expertise spans literacy and numeracy development across the curriculum. With her expert academic coaching, students of all ages achieve proficiency and fluency at the highest levels in reading and writing, in both French and English.
Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) C1 en français
Informed by multiple perspectives as a second-language speaker of French, educator and scholar, Dr. June has seen how individual differences, goal orientations, and effective feedback shape motivation, performance, and classroom practice in French immersion. She applies what she’s learned to help every learner succeed. In short, Dr. June reconnects learners with their capacity to learn and teaches them to monitor their progress for sustained success.
OCT Teacher Educator
Dr. June is an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) and has mentored beginning and mid-career teachers for 2+ decades, from top-tier teacher education programs across Canada. She works with teachers who want to hone their skills in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and authentic assessment because creating classrooms where neurodiverse and academically vulnerable learners can flourish, is a priority. Building responsive, research-informed classrooms that honour diversity makes the world a safer, kinder, better place.
"Your teaching is priceless. Thank you for giving me such power to help my sons."
-Mother of 2 middle schoolers
"You gave him everything he needed to succeed."
-Mom of Grade 1 student
"Many, many thanks. We are so appreciative of the extraordinary work you do."
-Parent of 2 high school students
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