Chapter One

Almost a year ago, during the post-school pick up (which I no longer dread, as the 'school mums' are actual real friends) we stood on the playground discussing the previous week's parents' evening. No longer unperturbed by these things anymore, my focus in life has changed for the better, I just want my children to be happy. Happy children thrive! But friends were desperately worried as their children had fallen behind due to covid. “I can help” I offered, initially starting out supporting their children with reading and literacy skills. 

I have always been passionate about my own children learning to read after I struggled myself as a child. Now living in a tiny, old cottage in West Sussex, as a family of six, we are surrounded by books with a bookcase in each room. "Where's your T.V?" My friends ask "In the loft!" my children reply. This is probably at the more extreme end of parenting, nonetheless, I always wanted my children to have a natural love of literacy and find joy in reading, which I only discovered later in life.

It was during lockdown, that I found myself digging out and dusting off my old classroom books from a previous life. Using my outdated resources from way back, teaching at a traditional Prep School in the North of England, I began homeschooling my own four children.

How children learn to read has changed greatly over the years and now with the introduction of phonics, it has become more accessible for all children to learn how to read whatever their starting point. After discovering one of the UK's leading phonics programmes, Read Write Inc I was blown away with the simple format and its structured, guaranteed method that ensures early success in reading, writing and spelling where children can meet and exceed their expected standard.

With my children back in full time school and my fourth child about to join the other three, I decided to continue to grow my passion of teaching children to read into a successful business. Now I offer one-to-one reading and literacy coaching for children aged 3+ in person and online - worldwide.