Kyla Vance, Western NC, kyla@smarttesting.net 828-443-2464
Kyla is a North Carolina native and has always lived in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology, both from Appalachian State University. She has experience teaching children of all grade levels and abilities through her public school and homeschool careers. She has led and administered workshops and professional development programs for public and private schools. She has also worked as a tutor for both math and reading.
Kyla is married with three beautiful children and lives in Icard, NC. She is currently the director of her homeschool co-op while homeschooling her three kids. She has been a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts for almost 15 years. (www.bagsbykyla.com) The experience of helping customers and leading her team brings her joy. Kyla is a true “people person” and has always been what some call a social butterfly.
Kyla and her family enjoy camping, traveling, and thrifting. They enjoy the freedom that homeschooling allows for their many travels and adventures. Kyla is an avid reader. Her bookshelves and Kindle are full to the brim! She also has a huge affinity for cheese dip with her best friend. She and her family have attended their home church for over 15 years and have served as volunteers in the youth and children’s programs.
Kyla has always had a special place in her heart for children; she started babysitting before she could even drive. That led to her career in elementary education as well as her longing to be home with her own children and ultimately homeschool them. She loves chatting with other homeschool moms and encouraging them along their journey. Kyla enjoys the testing process. She sees it as a window into her kids’ inner selves. She loves learning how best to help them and how to challenge them to be what God has called them to be. She looks forward to being able to help, counsel, and encourage other families the same way that she has been encouraged by other moms.
Service areas:
Burke, Catawba, Caldwell, Lenoir, Taylorsville, Morganton, Watauga, Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, McDowell Lincolnton. Contact Kyla to see if she can travel to your area.
TESTIMONIALS
This testing was recommended for homeschooling students, and it has been very helpful in our homeschooling journey. Our tester (Kyla) gave very concise and detailed feedback on both the positives and the things that needed more focus, even providing useful resources to help us reach our homeschool goals. She was very responsive, professional and helpful in our communications as always. My daughter loves testing with Kyla and feels comfortable and welcomed without feeling intimidated. She tells me she's nervous beforehand, and then she says, "it was fun, i like her" afterwards. I was glad that Kyla gave positive feedback and constructive ideas for working with my daughter on a few things she struggled with. She clearly explained all of the testing results and provided some suggestions to help us shift the focus of our curriculum slightly, to help our daughter with her weak points in a way she might absorb more easily. It was nice to get some ideas from a different perspective.
~Anthony
Love the feedback, and individual recommendations
~Alysha C.
Speaking with Glenna and our proctor, Kyla, gave me the confidence to believe in myself more as a teacher. They helped me narrow down the test that would give me the best information for what I was looking to best help my daughter. She was AMAZING. I cannot say enough about how much she helped me breathe. She was great with my daughter, even though she wasn't a fan of testing, but only because she was required to read, which she doesn't enjoy doing. She helped me find curriculum that will work much better for my daughter and I moving forward into this next year. I am more excited to do school than I have been in a long time! Will for sure be using again! Kyla was amazing with my daughter. I am actually looking forward to testing next year!
~Cassie D
Kyla always keeps contact open. She's always good with my son and puts him at ease. She also, always explains things very well. ~Tina
We wanted a non-biased review of our children's knowledge. We were given a detailed list of where to be, what to bring, and what to expect. Prior to test start, Kyla gave a quick rundown of what would be expected. After testing, we were provided with detailed answers and explanations of our children's grades. Kyla is a wonderful examiner and will be using her again next year!
~Travis O.
This is our 4th year testing with SMART and I value the data that is quickly generated from the assessment. More importantly, I continue to return because of the positive experience and interactions my son has had with the 2 associates he has tested with. They are casual and warm, allowing him to feel comfortable and create good associations with assessments. If the positive experience element were missing, we would not continue with the services, but it is fully in place and we are so very pleased with the services provided! I also appreciate the conversation after my son's assessment and the insight it provides. Kyla has been a wonderful resource for information and my son ENJOYS the time he has spent with her. We were given clear, concise communication with details to make the day smooth for all. Kyla is warm and patient, as well as encouraging. I appreciate the conversational environment she creates with my son. She shared detailed resources with me, which have proven to be quality items we have used in the past. Kyla is wonderful with my son and I value her insight as a fellow former educator turned homeschooling parent.
~Tara W.
I found this very helpful. Kyla did an awesome job. She listened to Courtney's needs and was able to accommodate her severe food allergies and provide a safe testing environment. Testing went smoothly and efficiently. She was able to compare last year's results with this year. She made recommendations on certain aspects.
~Hollie H.
My daughter has not been tested with WJ Achievement in several years, and I was interested in obtaining those particular measures. It was easy to book, and I had a previous good experience. Kyla was friendly, straightforward, and provided a pleasant environment. My daughter was satisfied with the experience and expressed no concerns. Feedback was given, and curriculum recommendations were made.
~Iris H.
Kyla answered all my questions and was very friendly. She was considerate and professional. She spent time communicating her strengths and weaknesses and also gave resources for further help.
~Karleigh F.
Kyla makes my children feel comfortable and encouraged in an otherwise stressful experience. She goes above and beyond to help them understand what is expected of them and to encourage them to do their best. She speaks to them in a language that they can understand, that is very positive. She compared the trends from previous years and helped me not feel too discouraged.
~Susan B.
The Woodcock-Johnson test helps extremely to work on areas of improvement. Kyla confirmed everything perfectly and she was very patient with my 6yr old. Very helpful! Keep doing what you're doing.
Kelly S.
It’s nice to have a benchmark measure to compare to each year. I can plan my year using the data to strengthen areas of struggle. My children are shy and were anxious about the test, but after taking it with Kyla they said, “I loved it! I want to do it again!”
~Ingrid M.
Kyla is organized and professional but very attentive and kind. She is great at giving quick but effective highlights of the test results and makes my daughter feel very comfortable during testing.
~Megan H.
Kyla always communicated in a friendly and timely manner. She has a very cheerful personality and she helped my children overcome their initial unease with having an unfamiliar tester this year. Yes, there was a gap that I had already suspected and she took the time to discuss potential resources for next year.
~Danielle B.
I choose SMART to admin testing because I think it is important as a homeschooling family to see what my kids can do independently without me as their teacher/ facilitator. Smart has provided a valuable baseline for me each year on what our core strength and weaknesses are in academic learning. Kyla was kind, knowledgeable, and my kids felt very comfortable with her.
~Kristin E.