Oak Tree Literacy

Oak Tree Literacy Reading Tutor, Early Childhood Educator, Outschool Educator.

Supporting parents to raise confident and creative kids by building a strong literacy foundation through quality, everyday experiences.

We live in a world that's always in a rush. We're impatient for what comes next, forgetting that things take time to gro...
10/02/2026

We live in a world that's always in a rush. We're impatient for what comes next, forgetting that things take time to grow, develop, and change. But we can't force a season to change, a seed to sprout, or a flower to bloom. The same goes for our children. We can't force them to mature. We can't push them through a developmental stage. We can't expect them to learn skills their brains and bodies aren't ready for yet. But we can lay the groundwork for them to grow into curious learners, strong readers, and critical thinkers. By reading to them daily, having conversations with them about their experiences and feelings, and recognizing that each stage is helping them grow into the next, we give our kids the best chance to become their best selves.

There’s a reason we don’t expect a toddler to learn to ride a two-wheel bike. They haven’t developed enough balance, str...
10/01/2026

There’s a reason we don’t expect a toddler to learn to ride a two-wheel bike. They haven’t developed enough balance, strength, and coordination yet. It takes a bit of time before these systems are ready, and since every kid develops at their own rate, some kids learn to ride a bike when they’re 4 and others when they’re 7. But school is different. Whether they’re ready or not, we start them all at the same time, expecting them to spend a long day away from caregivers, sit through a circle times, process instructions, navigate new social dynamics, and participate in structured learning activities. Even with a gradual start, which most schools have in place, some kids struggle for weeks and months before they’re ready. How did your child cope with the start of school? Were they eager and ready to participate, or did they need a bit more time to settle in?

Today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day that Canadians reflect on the impact of Residential Sch...
09/30/2026

Today marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day that Canadians reflect on the impact of Residential Schools on the Indigenous people of Canada. As many as 150,000 children, some as young as 5 years old, were removed from their homes, separated from their families and culture, forbidden to speak their language, and deprived of love, affection, and emotional support. They were often beaten and abused. Many never returned home. Today is a day to listen to the survivors and their families, because reconciliation requires us to first hear their stories. “We start today. We start with every little step." - Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Hereditary Chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation and Residential School survivor

09/29/2026

Let's normalize the fact that not 5-year-olds are ready for a full day of kindergarten just because September has rolled around. Kids have their own unique timelines and their own personalities and it's 100% okay if your child needs a bit more time and emotional support to adjust to all the changes, expectations, routines, and new people in their lives.

We’re all aware that kids learn to walk at different ages. Some get up and go at 9 months, and others take their first s...
09/28/2026

We’re all aware that kids learn to walk at different ages. Some get up and go at 9 months, and others take their first steps at 15 months. Being ready for kindergarten is no different. Some 5 year olds walk confidently into the classroom ready for the routines and expectations, while others are curious but need a bit of time before they’re comfortable. And some kids break down in tears at the very thought of saying goodbye to their caregiver. Kids grow and develop at different rates, so even though every five-year-old is old enough to start school, not every five-year-old is ready. Development doesn’t follow the school calendar.
If your child doesn’t walk confidently into their classroom on the first day or even the 30th day, it doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It means they’re not ready. And that’s okay. Their future does not depend on being ready for a full day of school at age five.

If we're serious about wanting our kids to grow up to be strong readers, critical thinkers, and problem solvers, then we...
09/23/2026

If we're serious about wanting our kids to grow up to be strong readers, critical thinkers, and problem solvers, then we need to stop rushing them into formal learning. Play grows literate kids, not worksheets, reading logs, or flashcards. If you want to know more about play and literacy, follow along. I'm an early childhood educator and a literacy tutor sharing info on how play grows literacy.

09/18/2026

When we let kids play, we're not being lazy. We're giving them exactly what they need to grow the skills they will use later when they're learning to read. When kids play pretend, they are developing the ability to think symbolically, something they need to do when reading. So when your child cooks you a pretend meal or makes a mess in the bathroom mixing water and soap like a scientist, or uses a tennis racket as a guitar in their pretend rock band, they're not just taking a break from education. Play IS education.

09/17/2026

We all want to help our kids become stronger readers, but we're not always sure what to do. So we buy workbooks, make flashcards, or download apps, hoping these things will help. But the research shows that parents can do a lot to help their kids without any special activities. One thing we can do is answer their questions! This helps them learn things that will make reading easier when they're older. And if you don't know the answers to their questions, you can explore together!

Life is full of moments that fill our kids with curiosity. When my grandson was 3, I took him for a walk up the road to ...
09/17/2026

Life is full of moments that fill our kids with curiosity. When my grandson was 3, I took him for a walk up the road to see a horse. He had never seen a horse up close before. He watched with fascination and wonder. As we walked back home, he asked a hundred questions. Why do horses eat grass? Do they eat anything else? Can it jump over the fence? What's on his head? Can we ride it? Where does it sleep? Sometimes kid's questions can be exhausting, but that curiosity builds their brain! Whether it's a horse, a bug on the sidewalk, a car, a book, or anything else that catches their attention, when kids explore, notice details, and ask questions, they're learning important information about the world around them, connecting ideas, building memories, thinking deeply, and learning new words. This is literacy in action! What's something your kids were curious about lately?

To learn to read, kids need lessons in how to connect sounds with letters. But before they can learn how to do that, we ...
09/15/2026

To learn to read, kids need lessons in how to connect sounds with letters. But before they can learn how to do that, we need to get their brains ready. Reading experts want parents to know that they don’t have to do anything extra special to get their kids ready to learn to read. Everyday, ordinary experiences, like trips to the grocery store, walking the dog, chatting about the events of they day, reading and telling stories, singing songs, and eating meals together are all literacy moments. How? Because in these ordinary moments, kids are learning new words, learning how to communicate, learning about the world around them, and learning to regulate their emotions. In other words, these ordinary moments are building a foundation for reading.

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