Sarah Hess, M.A.T., M.Ed., is a certified educator, instructional coach, dyslexia-endorsed specialist, and Orton–Gillingham-trained tutor with more than 20 years of experience supporting students, teachers, and families.

Sarah founded Snack & Recess to provide the kind of learning support every child deserves: highly skilled, carefully individualized, and genuinely engaging. She specializes in literacy, executive functioning, academic support, and helping families understand what may be getting in the way when school feels harder than it should.

Her approach combines evidence-based instruction with creativity, hands-on learning, and strong relationships. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all program, Sarah looks closely at each student’s strengths, needs, interests, and school expectations to create practical support that builds both skills and confidence.

Sarah believes that effective instruction can be rigorous without feeling discouraging—and that children learn best when they feel understood, capable, and connected.

Karen Bucci, M.A.T., is a Rhode Island certified elementary educator with more than 20 years of classroom experience. She has taught second, third, and fourth grade, including ten years at the Henry Barnard Laboratory School, where she and Sarah first worked together. Karen has also completed Orton–Gillingham classroom educator coursework.

At Snack & Recess, Karen supports students in writing, reading comprehension, spelling and word study, and mathematics. She loves the possibilities that one-to-one tutoring creates: time to understand how a child learns, work at their pace, and make each lesson meaningful.

Karen brings creativity, movement, art, and games into her teaching. Her hands-on, student-centered approach gives children opportunities to think, practice, and take pride in what they can do.

Outside of tutoring, Karen enjoys painting, drawing, dancing, and reading historical fiction. She also has a black belt in karate!