Terry began her work with special needs children as a paraprofessional in the public school system. Three of her students were 5 year old Katie, Mara and Michael all with Down syndrome. She found the lack of an effective way to teach reading to these students frustrating, so when Mara’s mom gave her a copy of Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome by Patricia Oelwein, she was eager to try its methodology. Everyone was amazed at the quick results that came from using Oelwein’s methods. These three kindergarten students not only began to read, but most importantly, developed a love of learning.
Terry Brown, affectionately know as “Mrs. Brown” by her many learners, has a passion and a gift for teaching individuals with Down syndrome. Working from her home, she has developed a successful and innovative program that teaches reading and other academic skills to learners ages three to adult.
When Terry left the school district she continued to work with these students and a handful of others. With them as willing learners and Terry’s love of teaching children with Down syndrome, she began to develop Oelweins’ foundations into a reading, writing and math program now called ‘So Happy to Learn.’
As word of her work spread, more and more children came to “Mrs. Brown’s House.” Over the years, through Terry’s attentiveness to how diverse students learn and respond to her sometimes intuitive and always innovative and fun ideas, ‘So Happy to Learn’ has continued to develop into a successful full time supplemental program for home-schooled and traditionally schooled children.
Katie, Michael and Mara are now teenagers but are still happily learning with Mrs. Brown. In addition over 40 eager and “happy” learners now come to Mrs. Brown’s house and can say “I did it!” This extraordinary house is not only a place of learning, but it is a place filled with love, joy, hope and pride in the accomplishments of an extraordinary woman and her students.
Terry Brown was named Down Syndrome Association of Orange County's 2001 Educator of the Year. In 2004 Mrs. Brown developed and taught a year long pilot program for DSAOC designed to help parents teach their children to read. She has presented “So Happy to Learn” at workshops and conferences for parents and educators. “Mrs. Brown’s House” has welcomed administrators, teachers and other educational professionals eager to watch their students using “So Happy to Learn”. The program has been enthusiastically received with teachers implementing parts of it into their classroom setting.
It is Mrs. Brown’s hope that all children with Down syndrome will be afforded the opportunity to read and reach their personal and academic potential as she has witnessed many times over what a gift this is to the child and their families.
