Wow, 2024 has been a heck of a year. I’ll never forget one moment in November, during a parent engagement workshop, when I saw the light bulbs going off for a room full of early childhood educators, librarians, and occupational and speech therapists. As we talked about how many had been approaching parents with the wrong energy and content—overloading them with demands instead of offering empathy and help—you could see their awareness dawning.
They began to realize the power of meeting parents where the parents are and giving them simple, impactful tools instead of homework. Witnessing that shift in understanding was so energizing and illustrated a big shift for me in audience and impact.
It felt like a full-circle moment for me, because I began the year with the launch of my Reading Made Simple online course. The course was my way of directly supporting parents with my best advice for guiding their children’s reading journeys at home—from day one. Some professionals enrolled, too, eager to see my approach to communicating family literacy best practices in an accessible, actionable way. This mix of serving parents directly and equipping professionals to amplify the message set me on a new path to commit to scaling my impact by “training the trainers,” so to speak.
Scaling Impact
When I compare 2024 to 2023, the growth and shifts in my work are clear. I found myself speaking to larger audiences over the past year, at bigger workshops and keynote presentations. And while numbers aren’t everything—I know that some of the deepest learning can happen in small, intimate settings—reaching more people is key to spreading this message widely.
That’s how we get to the tipping point of awareness about empowering families and activating whole communities for reading success. I’m proud that my work took me farther afield this year, as well, from Wisconsin to Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio, Maryland, Florida, and Idaho. Literacy needs love in every corner of the nation, and I’m so grateful to have been invited by such a wide variety of organizations to share the message.
This year also brought me to a bigger focus on early childhood professionals. I had the privilege of speaking for organizations including the Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, the Maryland State Child Care Association, and KinderCare, to name a few.
Literacy is vital at every age, but starting strong with our youngest learners makes a world of difference. When we do a better job early, it helps everywhere down the line—from K-12 classrooms to colleges—because kids have a solid foundation to build on. This work left me feeling incredibly proud and energized.
At the same time, I dove deeper into the world of K-12 education. Even though my book, Reading for Our Lives, initially focused on birth-to-six literacy, reading achievement scores show that older kids often still need to develop those foundational skills.
This makes information on those skills and instilling them important for people working with kids up to 7, 8, and beyond—even through their teens! I began the year by presenting at the Wisconsin State Education Convention and went on to work with schools within the state and a New York school district as well.
One phrase I found myself saying over and over again this year was: Parents don’t want homework; they want help. And what I meant by that was that educators and those of us trying to influence families for the better should shift away from overloading parents with requests—checking folders and Google classrooms and email lists and robocall messages, maintaining reading logs, attending jargon-filled lectures, and so on.
Instead, we need to engage them in meaningful conversations. We need to focus on where their children are in their learning journeys, what’s required for them to advance, what the schools or support services can do to help, and how the parents can help in ways that fit with their strengths and the realities of their circumstances. Families are already juggling so much; they don’t need more to-dos. They need tools and strategies tailored to their reality that genuinely (and visibly) help their children succeed.
Through one-on-one conversations with educators and through consulting engagements, I helped schools reframe their messaging to parents. I urged them to tailor their advice to families’ real-world needs, so they can support kids more effectively. It’s not just about what we say; it’s about how and when we say it, so the message sticks and parents feel empowered to act. This behind-the-scenes work was as rewarding and felt as impactful as taking to stages more publicly.
Milestone Moments
A few pinch-me moments came this year, too. I learned that in February 2025, I’ll receive the Community Service Award from St. Francis Children’s Center at the Milwaukee Auto Show Gala and the Champion of Children Award from Foundations Inc. at their Beyond School Hours Conference in Orlando.
Joining the ranks of past honorees like Dolly Parton and Geoffrey Canada? Incredible! Both awards are wonderful affirmations that this work is resonating with people and making a difference.
And then there was the social media love! Imagine my surprise when Brené Brown shared a quote from my interview on her website about the joys of reading deeply, underlining, and writing in the margins. That single Instagram post brought a thousand new followers to my account. If you’re one of those folks who joined this community because of that post, welcome! I’m thrilled to have you here.
What’s Coming in 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m feeling incredibly excited to keep this momentum going. I will reopen my Reading Made Simple course, this time with rolling enrollment throughout the year and tailored versions for parents and family support professionals.
I’ll also launch an updated and revised paperback edition (and audiobook!) of Reading for Our Lives in April, and I’m planning virtual book clubs and live events to celebrate. If you’d like to be part of the launch team or host an event, let me know—I’d love to make it happen.
If there are stages you’d like to see me on, states you think I should visit, or schools and districts that could use a fresh, responsive approach to engaging families in literacy building, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can keep empowering families and communities for reading success. Let me know how I can support your community’s literacy goals. Here’s to an even more impactful 2025!
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