Emily Carter

If your kindergartener or first grader is struggling with letters, sounds, or reading, you are not overreacting by paying attention. The early signs of dyslexia in kindergarten and first grade can be subtle, but they are also remarkably consistent across children. Research from the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity and the International Dyslexia Association … Read more

When a child struggles to read, parents often hear two different words used interchangeably: dyslexia and reading delay. They are not the same thing, and the difference matters more than most families realize. I’ve worked with hundreds of families through our team at Reading Inaction, and the question I hear most often is some version … Read more

If your second-grader is still writing “b” for “d” or drawing “p” where “q” should go, you’re not alone. I hear this concern from parents every week, and I understand the worry that follows: “Is this just a phase, or is something deeper going on?” The truth is, letter reversals after age seven can absolutely … Read more

You are watching your child struggle with reading, spelling, or writing. You ask the school for help. The teacher or administrator sits you down and says something like, “He’s doing fine,” or “She’ll catch up,” or “Let’s just wait and see.” If you are searching for “what to do when the school says your child … Read more

Toniebox Christmas bundles have earned a permanent spot on our family’s holiday gift guide, and after testing nearly every version released in , I can tell you exactly which ones are worth your money. From my own experience unwrapping the Disney Princess bundle on Christmas morning with my niece, the look on her face when … Read more

If your seven-year-old refuses to read because the cover looks like it belongs in a kindergarten nap pile, I hear you. I’ve worked with dozens of families hunting for decodable readers that don’t look like baby books, and the frustration is real. Most decodable books on the market have cartoonish covers, oversized fonts, and chunky … Read more

I spent three weeks testing the Kindle Kids and Fire Tablet Kids head-to-head with my own kids, and the difference is bigger than most parents realize. The screens alone change everything about how your child reads, how often they read, and whether their eyes feel tired after a chapter book. Choosing between Kindle Kids vs … Read more

Picking between PRIDE Reading Program and All About Reading used to keep me up at night. Both are structured literacy programs built on the Orton-Gillingham approach. Both claim to work for kids with dyslexia. Both cost more than a tank of gas. I bought the All About Reading Level 1 kit the summer before my … Read more

When a child struggles to read, parents and teachers want answers. The Orton-Gillingham reading instruction method has been the gold standard for dyslexia intervention since the 1930s, yet most explanations of how it actually works leave people confused. I dug into the research, talked with reading specialists, and reviewed the training manuals. In this guide, … Read more

Walk into a classroom using structured literacy and you will see something specific: a teacher modeling sounds explicitly, students responding chorally, and a clear sequence of skills building on each other minute by minute. It does not look like children guessing words from pictures or selecting books for independent browsing time. Instead, it looks focused, … Read more