Dr. Donald E. Lyman - Founder

Dr. Donald E. Lyman spent over 47 years of his life working with children with learning differences. Dyslexic himself, he dropped out of school at a young age. He taught himself how to read and write using a series of "tricks" he developed. These "tricks" enabled him to enroll in Catholic University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1957. Then, as a participant in the A.E.G.I.S. program at Columbia University, he earned his doctorate in Education.

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Throughout his remarkable career, Dr. Lyman taught children, much like himself, in New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey public schools, and Florida. In Florida he founded three private schools where he served as principal and full-time teacher. He also ran private tutoring centers where he taught children and adults and trained hundreds of teachers in his method.

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Dr. Lyman also wrote two books, A School Worth Walking To, Ivy Books, 1966 and Making the Words Stand Still, Houghton Mifflin, 1987. His teaching methods have been used in various research studies, all showing significant positive results not only with dyslexic learners but also with children dealing with ADHD and other learning differences.

 

In 2005, Dr. Lyman founded Alliance Academies. Soon after, he purchased what was then known as Montessori Children's Academy and moved Alliance Academies to that location. Alliance Academies then operated under the name Baldwin Oaks Academy, chosen not only to emphasize the natural beauty of the campus but to represent the school's goal of growing strong minds, bodies, and spirits in the children who would attend.

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Dr. Lyman had always admired Dr. Montessori's philosophy and teaching methods, as they involved the same individualization and hands-on qualities found in his own program.

 

Sadly, Dr. Lyman passed away on March 27, 2007. Today, his legacy lives on through his daughter Jennifer Lyman, who continues using his proven methods daily at The Lyman School.

 

In 2015, to honor Dr. Lyman's memory and expand his impact, Nieves and Jennifer Lyman established The Lyman Learning Institute as a 501(c)(3) corporation. In 2016, they opened The Lyman School, which exclusively uses the Lyman Program alongside other innovative educational approaches.