Dear Parent, A Note From a Reading Specialist in 2026

I was sitting in the horse arena when it happened.

My daughter was horseback riding (well, trying to ride since her horse was being oh. so. stubborn) and tears began streaming down her cheeks.

I could see the defeat all over her face. I dreaded what she might say: "I give up!" or "I hate this!" or "I'm terrible at riding!"

You see, it had only been a couple months since we purchased a horse. Her horse. Previously, she had been borrowing or leasing someone else's. Now, after two years, she had her own. As amazing as it was, it also brought some tough lessons about responsibility, patience, and the importance of grit.

She looked down at me (seeming so small on that big horse) and said, "Please help me. I don't know what to do."

I sat there feeling completely helpless.

Even though she'd been going to lessons every week, we were in unchartered territory with a new horse and being completely on our own. Our trainer kept reminding us about the importance of repetition, and that we needed to come out to the barn and practice on the days she didn't have a lesson.

But that meant there was no trainer around, no one to help guide us when we didn't know what we were doing.

I didn't grow up with horses. The only pets I'd ever cared for were cats and dogs. I had zero training when it came to horseback riding, let alone helping anyone else do it.

I needed someone to teach ME how to help my daughter, or at least give me an outline of what to do when we were practicing on our own.

And it was then that it dawned on me.

This is exactly how parents must feel when trying to help their kids learn how to read. And especially parents of struggling readers.

That's when I decided to shift my focus from supporting teachers of growing readers to supporting parents.

Teachers (for the most part)  have the training and resources. But parents? There's not much out there that shows you step-by-step how to help your child with reading.

You know what parents DO have though?

A whole lot of passion. And determination. And a deep desire to see their child succeed.

And something else just as important? The time and opportunity to work one-on-one, which is something teachers very rarely, if ever, get.

Please know this: you don't need to have a teaching degree or any formal titles to help your child learn how to read. 

Whether you have...

• a preschooler who's just starting to learn about letters and sounds
• a child who's on track with reading, but could still benefit from extra practice, or
• a child who really struggles with reading

... we're here to help be your guide on this literacy journey.

We have a lot of exciting plans in the works for 2026. Think videos, guidebooks, an online course for parents, tons of free resources, and so much more.

We can't wait to share it all with you, but for this week, we wanted to let you know that we're here.

We care.

And we're super excited to walk step-by-step with you while you support your growing reader. 🌱

If you're interested in staying up-to-date with everything we have planned, be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter below if you aren't already.

Your partners in literacy,

Erin & Kally