🎉 Welcome to Reading Skool! Hi everyone! 👋 I’m Paula, Founder of Reading Success Academy and the host of this community. I started Reading Skool because I’ve seen too many kids struggle with reading when the right support could completely change their future. This space is for parents and teachers to connect, learn, and encourage one another. You’ll find free lessons, courses, and live events designed to help struggling readers and kids with dyslexia succeed. 💬 Your Turn: I’d love to hear from you! What’s one challenge your child or student faces with reading right now? Or, if you’re a teacher, what’s one thing you wish parents knew about helping kids read? Drop your answer below so we can start the conversation—and remember, no challenge is “too small” to share. Every question you ask helps another parent or teacher here. 💡 Can’t wait to get to know you all! —Paula

Parents and teachers, what tips do you have for the parent who says, "He can read, but won’t do it unless I sit there." What have you found to work for encouraging independent readers?

I read a social media post the other day that made me stop and think for a moment. I don't recall the exact quote but the educator posting was basically saying that children can only learn from teachers they like. At first glance, I thought, "Yeah, I can see her point there". But of course my brain didn't just stop there. I started thinking of all the teachers I learned from the most. I know for a fact that I did not like my 7th grade Social Studies teacher. But when I think back to her methods and what her students didn't like about her was that she taught them how to be organized, to make their notes visually effective, to not let their learning be distracted by chewing gum, or sitting wherever they chose in the class. Yes, she was strict and you didn't mess around in her class. I didn't like her but I did great in her class. I still organize my binders in a similar way to what she taught me. I color-code when teaching. In fact, it is a practice I rely on to help visual learners differentiate spelling patterns. I liked all of my other teachers, so maybe Ms. Allen was an exception to the rule. I loved school and even if I didn't like everything about a teacher's class, I knew they cared, and I think that's what matters more than being liked. If a child knows you care, they are open to learning from you and taking some risks. I agree that students engage more with teachers they like. But engagement doesn't equal learning does it? The class could engage in "fun Friday" games every week but that doesn't mean they are learning more than students in classes who don't. What do you think? Can students learn from teachers they don't like?

It has come to my attention that some members have received unsolicited DMs. If this happens to you, please screenshot the message and report it to me right away. So now we have an additional rule: Do not DM members to pitch, sell, recruit, or promote anything unless they explicitly asked you to. If you want to share a resource, post it in the group so everyone benefits. Members who ignore this will be removed.

How do you keep your readers motivated to read during the holiday break? Do you set new reading goals for the new year? Do you focus on holiday-themed literature? Do you just take a break from the daily reading habit? 🤔