"64% of fourth graders in our country do not read profienctly."
"64% of fourth graders in our country do NOT read proficiently."
-National Literacy Institute
MORE OF THE SAME WON'T FIX THAT.
What's missing is a completely
DIFFERENT APPROACH!
MORE OF THE SAME WON'T FIX THAT.
What's missing is a completely
DIFFERENT APPROACH!
A different approach
How a child's reading journey begins shapes more than literacy.
It shapes their relationship with learning itself.
Family Phonics is built on the idea that connection, play, and a regulated nervous system aren't just nice to have alongside literacy, they're the foundation of it. When a child feels safe and regulated, their brain becomes available to take in new information, and when learning happens through play and multiple senses, it sticks.
Your child is learning to read
Through play based, multisensory, nervous system aware sessions rooted in the science of reading. No pressure, no drills, just real skill building that sticks.
You're learning how to teach
Family Phonics is just as much a parent training experience as a children's literacy program. You'll learn phonics, how to attune to your child's nervous system, and how to bring literacy into everyday life.
10th
Experience
A different approach
How a child's reading journey begins shapes more than literacy.
It shapes their relationship with learning itself.
Family Phonics is built on the idea that connection, play, and a regulated nervous system aren't just nice to have alongside literacy, they're the foundation of it. When a child feels safe and regulated, their brain becomes available to take in new information, and when learning happens through play and multiple senses, it sticks.
Your child is learning to read
Through play based, multisensory, nervous system aware sessions rooted in the science of reading. No pressure, no drills, just real skill building that sticks.
You're learning how to teach
Family Phonics is just as much a parent training experience as a children's literacy program. You'll learn phonics, how to attune to your child's nervous system, and how to bring literacy into everyday life.
10th
Experience
Why Family Phonics
Experience literacy learning the way it was meant to feel.
Rooted in the science of reading, nervous system awareness, and genuine connection between parent and child. This is literacy support that respects the whole child, and the whole family.
Play Based and Multisensory
Young children learn best when their whole body is involved. Every session feels like play, obstacle courses, games, movement, sensory activities, with phonics woven through. When literacy happens through movement, touch, and sight all at once, it sticks.
Parent Mentorship
This isn't a drop-off program. You're in every session, and between sessions too, with direct support calls to talk through what's coming up at home. You're building a real skill set, not just watching your child build one.
Child Led
Sessions are built around a prepared environment with intentional phonics activities ready and waiting, but your child chooses what they're drawn to that day. No agenda matters more than the child in front of us. This keeps learning feeling like something that happens with them, building the kind of motivation that lasts.
Nervous System Aware
Every session, I stay attuned to your child's body, watching for what regulation looks like for them that day, and adjusting the moment something shifts. Your presence and pace matter too, since a child's nervous system is always in relationship with yours. Through parent support calls, you'll learn to read those same cues, so this awareness lives at home, not just in sessions.
WHY IT'S NOT WORKING
It's not that children can't learn to read. It's that most of them are being taught in ways that aren't actually working.
For decades, schools have used methods that cognitive scientists debunked in the 1990s: guessing words from pictures, memorizing whole words, instead of learning how sounds and letters work together. These approaches teach children to bypass the decoding skills their brains actually need.
Most instruction asks kids to sit still and perform on someone else's schedule. When curiosity gets replaced by compliance, their light starts to dim.
The neural pathways forming in those early experiences are pathways of pressure, discomfort, and resistance.
That doesn't stay in the classroom. Practice time becomes a battleground, even between parent and child.
It doesn't have to go that way.
It's not that children can't learn to read. It's that most of them are being taught in ways that aren't actually working.
For decades, schools have used methods that cognitive scientists debunked in the 1990s: guessing words from pictures, memorizing whole words, instead of learning how sounds and letters work together. These approaches teach children to bypass the decoding skills their brains actually need.
Most instruction asks kids to sit still and perform on someone else's schedule. When curiosity gets replaced by compliance, their light starts to dim.
The neural pathways forming in those early experiences are pathways of pressure, discomfort, and resistance.
That doesn't stay in the classroom. Practice time becomes a battleground, even between parent and child.
Testimonials
What families are saying:
Work with me
The Family Phonics Mentorship
Who it's for:
This is for the family who wants something different. Your child experiences literacy the way it was meant to feel, through play, movement, and connection, while you're right there alongside them, building a whole new kind of relationship with learning together.
You also get a parallel learning experience of your own: dedicated time with me, ongoing training, and two months of direct access whenever questions come up. You won't just witness a different approach. You'll internalize it, and carry it home long after our time together ends.
What's included:
8 private 50-minute sessions
8 one-on-one parent coaching calls
4 group sessions
A curated kit of open ended literacy materials, with weekly new ways to use them.
Weekly take-home games and activities to extend learning in between sessions
15+ mini parent training videos covering phonics, phonemic awareness, the nervous system, teaching strategies and more
Two months of full access to me and my knowledge
Private WhatsApp group for our cohort
10th
Experience
Weekly Sessions
Looking for something simpler?
Weekly sessions are for families who want consistent, joyful, one-on-one literacy time without the full mentorship structure. Each session is built around your child's interests and current phonics level, rooted in the science of reading, so it feels like play while real skills are built every time.
Think of it as two lessons happening at once.
Your child builds real literacy skills that feel joyful and natural. And you're learning too, picking up phonics knowledge and strategies you can bring home.
Every session includes:
-A prepared environment attuned to your child's level and interests
-Low pressure, playful, science-of-reading aligned skill building
-Phonics knowledge and teaching strategies for you to take home
-No drills, no workbooks, no pressure to perform
$130 per 50-minute session, or $480 for a month of four sessions.
A 20–30 minute parent coaching call is included after every 4 sessions, regardless of how often you schedule.
Weekly Sessions
Looking for something simpler?
Weekly sessions are for families who want consistent, joyful, one-on-one literacy time without the full mentorship structure. Each session is built around your child's interests and current phonics level, rooted in the science of reading, so it feels like play while real skills are built every time.
Think of it as two lessons happening at once.
Your child builds real literacy skills that feel joyful and natural. And you're learning too, picking up phonics knowledge and strategies you can bring home.
Every session includes:
-A prepared environment attuned to your child's level and interests
-Low pressure, playful, science-of-reading aligned skill building
-Phonics knowledge and teaching strategies for you to take home
-No drills, no workbooks, no pressure to perform
$130 per 50-minute session, or $480 for a month of four sessions.
A 20–30 minute parent coaching call is included after every 4 sessions, regardless of how often you schedule.
For Families Who Want More
This is not
tutoring
Family Phonics is a different experience entirely.
Here's what that actually looks like:
Drop Off
vs.
Stay and Learn Together
In traditional tutoring, parents drop off and wait. Here, you stay, playing, observing, and learning right alongside your child. Because you're there together, learning deepens your connection rather than happening without you.
Sit Down & Perform
vs.
Get Up and Play
Traditional instruction looks like sitting at a table, following along, getting it right. Sessions here look like obstacle courses, sensory bins, and games, with phonics woven through. Learning happens in the body, not just the brain.
Fix a Problem
vs.
Build a Foundation
Tutoring is typically brought in to fix something. Family Phonics is for families who want to build a joyful, solid foundation before pressure ever enters the picture. The goal isn't just a child who can decode words. It's a child who loves reading.
Temporary Fix
vs.
Skills You Keep Forever
When tutoring ends, it ends. Family Phonics is designed so what you learn lives on: real phonics knowledge, an attuned eye for your child's nervous system, and a relationship with reading that belongs to your whole family.
For Families Who Want More
This is NOT tutoring
Family Phonics is a different experience entirely.
Here's what that actually looks like:
Drop Off
vs.
Stay and Learn Together
In traditional tutoring, parents drop off and wait. Here, you stay, playing, observing, and learning right alongside your child. Because you're there together, learning deepens your connection rather than happening without you.
Sit Down & Perform
vs.
Get Up and Play
Traditional instruction looks like sitting at a table, following along, getting it right. Sessions here look like obstacle courses, sensory bins, and games, with phonics woven through. Learning happens in the body, not just the brain.
Fix A Problem
vs.
Build a Foundation
Tutoring is typically brought in to fix something. Family Phonics is for families who want to build a joyful, solid foundation before pressure ever enters the picture. The goal isn't just a child who can decode words. It's a child who loves reading.
Temporary Fix
vs.
Skills You Keep Forever
When tutoring ends, it ends. Family Phonics is designed so what you learn lives on: real phonics knowledge, an attuned eye for your child's nervous system, and a relationship with reading that belongs to your whole family.
Fix a Problem
vs.
Build a Foundation
Tutoring is typically brought in to fix something. Family Phonics is for families who want to build a joyful, solid foundation before pressure ever enters the picture. The goal isn't just a child who can decode words. It's a child who loves reading.
Temporary Fix
vs.
Skills You Keep Forever
When tutoring ends, it ends. Family Phonics is designed so what you learn lives on: real phonics knowledge, an attuned eye for your child's nervous system, and a relationship with reading that belongs to your whole family.
Not ready for sessions yet?
Before They Read
A Parent's Guide to Phonics, Connection, and the Nervous System
ebook
Perfect for families with children ages 2 to 6 who are just beginning their letter and sound journey.
Everything you need to confidently begin your child's reading journey, written for parents with no teaching background: clear phonics guidance, nervous system awareness, and a gentle, pressure-free approach you can weave into everyday life. No flashcards, no drills, no rigid schedule.
Guidance on letter sounds, which to teach first, and how to say them correctly
A complete gesture guide for every letter sound
Nervous system awareness and how regulation shapes learning
Multisensory and movement based activity ideas
Simple ways to weave letter learning into everyday life
Letter sound reference chart and glossary
60 pages, instant PDF download, yours to keep forever
$19.99 — instant PDF download
FAQs
Questions families ask:
if you don't see your question here, reach out anytime.
What ages do you work with?
Family Phonics is designed for children ages 4 to 7, right at the beginning of their literacy journey. Every child develops at their own pace and sessions are always tailored to where your child is right now.
Do I have to stay for sessions?
Yes, and that's intentional. Your presence is a core part of the experience. You're not dropping your child off, you're participating, observing, and learning alongside them. It's also a genuine opportunity to slow down, be fully present with your child, and experience a different kind of connection with them around learning. That's what makes this a family literacy experience rather than ordinary tutoring.
My child isn't struggling. Can we still work together?
Absolutely. Family Phonics is for families who want something different from the start, not just families whose children are behind or struggling. If you want your child's introduction to reading to feel joyful, connected, and pressure free, this is for you.
What's the difference between the mentorship and weekly sessions?
The mentorship is a two month deep dive into phonics, phonemic awareness, the nervous system, and teaching strategies, designed to give you and your child a truly comprehensive foundation. It includes eight sessions, eight parent coaching calls, four whole cohort sessions, a curated materials kit, weekly take home games and activities, 15 plus parent training videos, and two months of direct access to me. Weekly sessions are a simpler ongoing option, one session per week with a brief monthly check in call, for families who want consistent support and connection without the full program structure.
Where do sessions take place?
Sessions take place in the Westlake area near the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas. Exact location details are shared after an initial conversation. Please reach out to discuss availability and whether we might be a good fit.
Do you work with children who have learning differences or suspected dyslexia?
Family Phonics is rooted in structured literacy and the science of reading, which forms the foundation of most dyslexia intervention approaches. However I do not have formal dyslexia specialist training or certification. If your child has a formal dyslexia diagnosis or you suspect dyslexia, I am happy to talk through whether what I offer could be a supportive complement to other services, but I want to be transparent about the scope of my training.
Can siblings attend sessions?
Sessions are designed for one child and their parent so that the focus and energy of the room stays with the child the session is for. Part of what makes this experience powerful is that your child gets your full presence and attention while they are learning, and that is hard to give when another child also needs you in the room. Nursing newborns are welcome, but we ask that other siblings are not present so your child can have that connected, undivided experience with you.
What if my child is having a hard day or doesn't want to participate?
Sessions are responsive to however your child shows up that day. If they need more movement, more stillness, more silliness, or more time, we follow that. No agenda is more important than the child in front of us. Hard days are part of the process and we work with them, not against them.
How do I schedule sessions?
Scheduling is flexible and works around both of our availability. Sessions are typically scheduled up to two weeks at a time so we can stay responsive to your family's rhythm. Just reach out and we'll find a time that works.
Is there a trial session?
Yes. Before committing to mentorship or weekly sessions, families are invited to a 30 minute introductory session where your child and I get to meet, play, and get a feel for each other. It's a relaxed, low pressure way to experience the approach firsthand and for both of us to get a sense of whether it feels like the right fit. I want families to feel confident they've found the right support, and I want to feel confident I can give each family what they need. The introductory session is how we get a feel for that.
Family Phonics
Play based, nervous system aware early literacy support for children ages 4 to 7 and the families who love them. Based in Austin, Texas.
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