Welcome to Rise to Reading!

Hi! I’m so glad you’re here.

Rise to Reading was founded on a simple conviction: every child, no matter their circumstances, can learn to love reading. Reading is the cornerstone of a developing mind. It unlocks curiosity, builds empathy, and lays the foundation for all future learning. But developing a strong, confident reader isn’t something that happens in the classroom alone. Schools do incredible work, but real, lasting literacy happens when parents are empowered to guide the journey at home.

That mission is deeply personal to me.

With a degree in special education and eight years in the classroom, I’ve spent a lot of time teaching language arts. I treasured my years as a professional educator, but my most meaningful work happened right at home—teaching my five sons to read.

When they were small, it was easy to keep up. We spent countless hours reading aloud, listening to early readers, and building a foundation of confidence together. But as my boys grew older and picked up thicker books, something unexpected happened.

I found myself sitting on the other side of the desk at parent-teacher conferences. The teachers always gave the same advice: “Ask your child questions about what they’re reading at home to check their comprehension.”

Even with a teaching background, I was completely overwhelmed. I hadn’t read the books they were bringing home. I tried asking basic questions—“Who’s the main character?” or “Where does the story take place?”—but without knowing the answers myself, I felt like I was guessing in the dark. I felt guilty. I felt lost. And frankly, I felt like I was failing them.

That experience opened my eyes. If a trained educator could feel completely powerless trying to support her kids’ reading comprehension, how were other busy parents feeling?

That is why I created Rise to Reading.

This platform exists to bridge the gap between school and home. It gives you quick, practical resources to check your child’s reading levels and measure their comprehension—without requiring you to read every single book cover-to-cover yourself.

You don’t need a teaching degree to raise a confident reader—you just need the right tools. You are not alone in this quest, and I’m honored to support you along the way.