Chattanooga Reading Center

One of our favorite resources for growing a child’s love of reading in Chattanooga is the The Chattanooga Public Library 📚

If you have a struggling reader, the library is such a great place to start. Your child can pull books off the shelf, try reading a page, and quickly figure out if it’s a good fit for their current level. The library is also a great place to discover which books are the right fit, without the frustration of ordering books that end up being too hard or too easy. And as your child begins tutoring, their tutor can always recommend specific books or series that match their level and interests.

What makes the library even more special is everything beyond the books. They offer so many opportunities to help kids fall in love with stories and learning, like:

💜 Storytime for younger kids
💜 Summer reading programs and challenges
💜 STEM and hands-on learning events
💜 Teen clubs and book discussions
💜 Family-friendly events and seasonal activities

✨ One of my personal favorites is their Adult Craft Night—it’s such a fun way for parents to get involved and enjoy the library too!

There’s truly something for every child (and parent), no matter their interests.

We love encouraging families to make the library part of their weekly routine. It’s a simple (and free!) way to build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of reading 🤍

👉 Check out their upcoming events here: https://chattlibrary.org/events/

The last time I shared a game you can use at home to build language skills, I got so much positive feedback—so we’re back with another idea 👇

This one also comes from the same speech-language pathologist who shared the Headband Game, and it’s Taboo (if you try this, make sure to find the versions that are made for kids. 😉)

If you’ve never played, the goal is to describe a word without using certain “taboo” words—which makes kids think more deeply about how they use language.

Here are a few powerful ways this game supports language (and ultimately reading comprehension):

💜 Strengthens vocabulary and word connections.
Kids have to think of multiple ways to describe the same word, which builds deeper understanding—not just memorization.

💜 Improves expressive language and clarity.
They practice explaining ideas clearly so others can understand, which carries over into both speaking and writing.

💜 Builds comprehension and flexible thinking.
They have to listen carefully, process clues, and make connections—skills that are directly tied to understanding what they read.

When language skills grow, reading comprehension follows. It’s all connected.

And the best part? It just feels like playing a game 🤍

Looking for a simple way to make reading more fun this summer? ☀️📚

We put together a blog with some of our favorite book + movie pairings to help turn reading into a fun family activity.

Instead of reading feeling like something your child has to do, this is a great way to make it something they look forward to.

💜 Read the book together as a family
💜 Watch the movie after finishing it
💜 Talk about the differences, favorite parts, and characters

Pairing books with movies can actually increase motivation to read and help kids better understand the story, because they’re connecting what they read with what they see 

It’s simple, it’s fun, and it’s something the whole family can enjoy together 🤍

👉 Check out the full list here:
https://www.chattanoogareadingcenter.com/blog/how-to-make-reading-fun-again-book-movie-pairings-for-kids

When a student struggles with reading comprehension, it’s usually not random.

There are two common culprits we uncover:

A limited vocabulary.
And a lack of background knowledge.

If a student doesn’t understand the words or doesn’t have context for what they’re reading, it becomes really hard to truly understand the text.

That’s why we don’t just say, “they need to work on comprehension.”

We figure out why they’re struggling so we can give them the right supports and interventions to actually improve.

One effective strategy we use at Chattanooga Reading Center is simple…we use pictures.

Oftentimes, we’ll use a graphic organizer for students that are struggling with comprehension that helps them visualize what they’re reading about.

The goal is to help them build a mental movie in their mind as they read.

Because when a student can see it, they can understand it.

And when they understand it, reading starts to be a lot more fun and worthwhile.

We’ve found this to be incredibly effective for students who struggle to understand passages, books, or any type of text.

In fact, many families start using this same strategy at home and see a big difference.

If you want me to share this resource with you (plus exactly how to use it), comment or message me COMPREHENSION and I’ll send it your way.

One of the simplest ways to make reading more meaningful is to pair it with a real-life experience ✨

Carol Crane has made a book for every state and they are a great way to learn about a state and also a place to write down memories (and make writing an into meaningful experience for your kiddo!)

https://amzn.to/4vlRyxN

After visiting a new place, you can have your child:

💜 Write about their favorite moment
💜 Share something new they learned
💜 Describe what they saw or experienced
💜 Write any questions they still have

In each of these books, the first couple of pages are blank, which is the perfect spot for your child to write down these reflections.

Then over time, those little entries become something really special 🤍

For our family, we’re starting a tradition of getting one of these books for every state we visit. Inside the front cover, we write a note about our trip—what we did, where we went, and what made it memorable.

Our hope is that over time, we’ll build a collection our kids can look back on and remember all of these experiences.

A 3rd grader came into Chattanooga Reading Center reading at a 1st grade level.

Reading felt hard. Frustrating. Overwhelming.

She would shut down easily, avoid reading, and didn’t have the confidence to believe she could get better.

One month after starting this type of one-on-one, targeted reading intervention… I got this text from her mom.

She went to the library…and chose a chapter book on her own. Something she used to avoid completely.

Four pages in, she said: “this is the best book I’ve ever read.”

Now she’s asking to read.

How did we achieve this?

Through one-on-one, personalized instruction that meets each student exactly where they are. By building a strong foundation in phonics and decoding. By improving fluency. And by creating an environment where students feel supported, encouraged, and confident as they grow.

That’s the goal.

Not just better scores. Not just improved skills. But a child who feels confident, capable, and excited to read.

If your child is struggling with reading, they don’t have to stay stuck.

At Chattanooga Reading Center, we specialize in helping students become fluent, confident readers through one-on-one, targeted intervention.

Send me a message if you want to learn more.

“Proud of you since the beginning.” 🎓

I saw this phrase on a card and immediately thought, this is exactly what we want every student to feel when they walk through our doors.

One of the things I want our students to hear so often that they almost get tired of it is this… “We are proud of you.”

Not for what you can do, but for WHO YOU ARE and the effort you put in every single session.

So many students who come to us struggling with reading quietly believe that they aren’t smart. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.

From the first evaluation, we take time to explain how the brain works and how learning to read sometimes requires a different approach. Struggling with reading is NOT a reflection of intelligence.

In fact, many students with Dyslexia are incredibly bright and gifted, they just haven’t been taught in the way their brain needs.

That’s why we are so intentional about reminding students how smart they are. 🧠

Because when a child starts to believe that about themselves, everything begins to change.

We are proud of them from the moment they walk in to the moment they leave, and long after that too. 📚

My sweet new baby joined us for a team meeting. 💜

Each month, we meet as a team to review every student’s data and make sure they are making the progress we expect. These meetings are an important part of what we do.

If a student is not progressing at the rate we know they are capable of, we don’t wait. We make adjustments to instruction and, when needed, bring in additional support to make sure that child has everything they need.

Every student’s plan is thoughtful, intentional, and personalized.

Our goal is simple. To help each child thrive and become a fluent, grade-level reader and writer. 📚

Homeschool parents, if you’ve been wondering:
“Is my child’s reading on track?”

I’m hosting Homeschool Reading Checkup Days at Chattanooga Reading Center:
⏰ Thursday, April 9, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
⏰ Friday, April 10, 3:30–6:30 p.m.

In 30 minutes, your child will complete a short 1:1 reading skills screening (phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency), and you’ll get:
💜A brief overview of what I’m seeing
💜A simple written summary of strengths, gaps, and suggested next steps

The Checkup is $29 per child and the fee is credited toward tutoring if you enroll within 7 days.

These spots are for families who can do weekday daytime sessions and are open to extra support if we find significant gaps.

To be considered for a spot, fill out the interest form in my bio or comment HOMESCHOOL and I will send you the link. 😊

I (Amy), used to be a special education teacher working with students in 3rd through 5th grade, many of whom were struggling readers.

One of the most frustrating parts of that role was the intervention programs we were expected to use. Even older students were often reading very “babyish” texts. They found them boring, I found them boring, and many times they weren’t even challenging enough to promote real growth.

It also impacted how students saw themselves. When a 4th or 5th grader is given very simple text, it can make them feel like they aren’t smart, even when that’s not true.

It never felt like the right approach for students who were capable of so much more.

Now, with the intervention we use, students are most often reading grade-level or above-grade-level texts with support. Even better, they get a say in what they read.

We use authentic texts, the kind of books you would actually pick up off a bookshelf, so students can learn about topics that genuinely interest them.

This increases student buy-in, builds confidence, and helps them start to see themselves as capable readers.

Students become more engaged, more motivated, and more invested in the process. And when students are interested and appropriately challenged, they make faster, more meaningful progress.

Learning to read shouldn’t feel boring. It should feel empowering. 📚

One of the biggest things we emphasize in our training is this. The only thing that matters in a session is the child in front of you.

Our goal is to provide the most effective instruction possible while also making that child feel like the most loved and capable kid in the room.

Yes, we want students to learn. But just as importantly, we want them to leave knowing that they are smart, capable, and able to figure things out.

We’ve had many parents share that as their child learns to read, they start to see positive changes at home too. Confidence grows. Behavior improves. The way a child sees themselves begins to shift.

Because when you can read, the world opens up. 📚 You can read menus, road signs, and understand the work in front of you at school.

When students are given the right instruction and support, they don’t just learn to read. They begin to thrive. 🧠