Dr. Kris Smith - Educational Services

Every student with dyslexia has a unique profile of strengths and challenges. That’s why early identification, instruction, intervention, and support should never be one-size-fits-all. Students deserve highly trained teachers, dyslexia interventionists, and therapists who understand how to provide individualized, evidence-based support. When educators are equipped with knowledge grounded in structured literacy and the Science of Reading, students have the opportunity to overcome their difficulties. Every child deserves to be understood. Every educator deserves the training to make that possible.❤️

That means every teacher deserves access to training in structured literacy based on the Science of Reading, and every child deserves a highly trained teacher equipped with the knowledge and tools to teach reading effectively. A child’s future should never be determined by their address. Literacy is a right, not a privilege.

2026 Summer MTA Teacher training is underway. Contact me for more information.

Summer 2026 MTA Teacher training is underway! Contact me for registration information.

Parents: One of the most important questions you can ask your child's school is how reading is taught. Effective reading instruction should be explicit, systematic, and grounded in evidence.
Ask:
✔️ Is phonics taught explicitly and systematically?
✔️ Do students practice blending sounds to read and segmenting sounds to spell?
✔️ Are children reading texts that match the skills they've been taught? Are children given decodable texts that match the phonics skills they've learned?
✔️ When students encounter unfamiliar words, are they encouraged to decode the words rather than guess from pictures or context?
✔️ What reading curriculum is being used, and what evidence supports its effectiveness?

Informed parents are powerful advocates for strong literacy instruction.

✏️Great resources for parents:
The Reading League
National Center on Improving Literacy

Parents: One of the most important questions you can ask your child’s school is how reading is taught. Effective reading instruction should be explicit, systematic, and grounded in evidence.
Ask:
✔️ Is phonics taught explicitly and systematically?
✔️ Do students practice blending sounds to read and segmenting sounds to spell?
✔️ Are children reading texts that match the skills they’ve been taught?
✔️ Are students taught to decode unfamiliar words rather than guess?

Every child deserves access to effective, evidence-based reading instruction regardless of their family’s income, resources, neighborhood, or ability to hire tutors. Educational success should not depend on what happens after school. This is a conversation education leaders can’t afford to avoid. If large numbers of students can only learn to read through private tutoring and interventions, there is a problem with the system. Strong core instruction is needed for every child.