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When it comes to adolescent literacy, our work is too important and too urgent to get wrong.

But there are so many skills needing targeted attention that it can be hard to know what to prioritize.

Here are some of the most critical (and most misunderstood) principles impacting how well our older students can read and write.

If you want to learn how we can meet these needs for your own teens, stick around.

When it comes to adolescent literacy, our work is too important and too urgent to get wrong.

But there are so many skills needing targeted attention that it can be hard to know what to prioritize.

Here are some of the most critical (and most misunderstood) principles impacting how well our older students can read and write.

If you want to learn how we can meet these needs for your own teens, stick around.

What can I say? A girl's got to have some non-negotiables.

What are yours?

What can I say? A girl's got to have some non-negotiables.

What are yours?

Yes, spelling instruction should last LONG past third grade.

Both spelling and reading depend on proficiency with language, but...

Moats (2022) tells us, “Spelling requires complete and accurate word memories. Reading words, in contrast, is possible even if word memories are not fully specified.”

In plain speak: Spelling assesses the productive aspect of language and is therefore more demanding than reading.

So, if we want to improve secondary students’ decoding and reading fluency (i.e. reading accuracy and rate), one of the most high-yield practices to incorporate is the explicit (and diagnostic!), systematic, cumulative teaching of spelling.

This summer, two of my 8th graders have each increased their oral reading fluency by TWO. GRADE. LEVELS. after six weeks of spelling instruction.

Imagine what continued spelling instruction can accomplish!

Yes, spelling instruction should last LONG past third grade.

Both spelling and reading depend on proficiency with language, but...

Moats (2022) tells us, “Spelling requires complete and accurate word memories. Reading words, in contrast, is possible even if word memories are not fully specified.”

In plain speak: Spelling assesses the productive aspect of language and is therefore more demanding than reading.

So, if we want to improve secondary students’ decoding and reading fluency (i.e. reading accuracy and rate), one of the most high-yield practices to incorporate is the explicit (and diagnostic!), systematic, cumulative teaching of spelling.

This summer, two of my 8th graders have each increased their oral reading fluency by TWO. GRADE. LEVELS. after six weeks of spelling instruction.

Imagine what continued spelling instruction can accomplish!

I named my company "Root Words" for a very specific reason (and it's more than just the etymology pun).

As an educator, I am always INFINITELY more interested in my students' growth than I am in their achievement of some arbitrary standard.

I firmly believe that there are watershed moments worth celebrating that folks who hyper-fixate on objective goals might overlook: achieving two years' growth in oral reading fluency in six weeks; correctly spelling an irregular drop-the-e verb after a whole summer's worth of instruction and dictation; or even maintaining silent, sustained reading for 20 (whole!!) minutes.

At the root of it all?

I'm here to celebrate my students' wins, big or small, every step of the way.

If you want to reach for the canopy, for the tallest heights possible...

I invite you to come grow with me.

I named my company "Root Words" for a very specific reason (and it's more than just the etymology pun).

As an educator, I am always INFINITELY more interested in my students' growth than I am in their achievement of some arbitrary standard.

I firmly believe that there are watershed moments worth celebrating that folks who hyper-fixate on objective goals might overlook: achieving two years' growth in oral reading fluency in six weeks; correctly spelling an irregular drop-the-e verb after a whole summer's worth of instruction and dictation; or even maintaining silent, sustained reading for 20 (whole!!) minutes.

At the root of it all?

I'm here to celebrate my students' wins, big or small, every step of the way.

If you want to reach for the canopy, for the tallest heights possible...

I invite you to come grow with me.

If you have a rising senior, chances are that you've been thinking about college essays as much as I have lately.

(And that's a lot.)

What makes for a good Common App personal statement? A bad one? How should my child approach it? What are they really trying to accomplish, here?

The writing process, especially for this piece, can feel a little mystifying, even opaque.

Let some quick advice from these old pros (some of them very, very old) help you focus your efforts.

If you have a rising senior, chances are that you've been thinking about college essays as much as I have lately.

(And that's a lot.)

What makes for a good Common App personal statement? A bad one? How should my child approach it? What are they really trying to accomplish, here?

The writing process, especially for this piece, can feel a little mystifying, even opaque.

Let some quick advice from these old pros (some of them very, very old) help you focus your efforts.

Here in third quarter, I've been thinking a lot about the skills that underpin successful reading, especially the ones that we don't talk about enough.

#1 on my list? Reading stamina.

Too often, conversations about why "kids these days" have shorter attention spans turn overly critical and unfair.

But I want to encourage a much more productive approach: rather than bemoan how our students and children struggle with sustained attention, let's take concerted action to improve their skills.

Like any skill, reading stamina is something that every reader can acquire.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Here in third quarter, I've been thinking a lot about the skills that underpin successful reading, especially the ones that we don't talk about enough.

#1 on my list? Reading stamina.

Too often, conversations about why "kids these days" have shorter attention spans turn overly critical and unfair.

But I want to encourage a much more productive approach: rather than bemoan how our students and children struggle with sustained attention, let's take concerted action to improve their skills.

Like any skill, reading stamina is something that every reader can acquire.

Here are some tips to get you started.

In part 2 of our reading series today, we're talking all about active reading strategies!

While there are SO many different strategies that students can use to more deeply engage with a text before, during, and after reading, these three practices are my "always-doing," non-negotiables, especially for younger secondary students just starting out on the journey of reading high volumes of complex text.

Which of these practices do you see your child already doing? Which do they struggle with or apply inconsistently?

#secondaryeducation #readingismagic #literacyforlife #middleschoolela #highschoolela

In part 2 of our reading series today, we're talking all about active reading strategies!

While there are SO many different strategies that students can use to more deeply engage with a text before, during, and after reading, these three practices are my "always-doing," non-negotiables, especially for younger secondary students just starting out on the journey of reading high volumes of complex text.

Which of these practices do you see your child already doing? Which do they struggle with or apply inconsistently?

#secondaryeducation #readingismagic #literacyforlife #middleschoolela #highschoolela

“My kid never reads.”

It’s the most common concern I hear from parents of teens, and it’s complex. There’s certainly no quick fix to the not-reading problem, but a constellation of strategies can help.

1️⃣ Emphasize Choice- As teenagers explore their identities and assert their independence, the ability to self-select reading material can make a seemingly unenjoyable task a little more attractive.

2️⃣ Welcome All Genres- I often hear parents discount the value of their teens “just” reading graphic novels and other texts perceived as lesser-than, but the goal here is for teens to have opportunities to do cognitive work with words, and any text can provide that.

3️⃣ Increase Access- Where do your children SEE books? Where do they GET books? Regular visits to the library, paper magazine subscriptions, and centrally-located bookshelves in your home can lower the barrier to entry for your teen’s reading journey.

4️⃣ Protect Time- You don’t need to be told how chaotic your family’s calendar is. It’s unlikely you’ll find an hour for pleasure reading in your child’s schedule, but could you find 30 minutes? 20? 10? Anything is better than nothing–even if it’s on the drive to soccer or during the wind-down before bed.

5️⃣ Model It!- To be clear, you don’t have some deficiency as a reader (or parent) that has led to your child feeling unmotivated to read. The adage “monkey see, monkey do” is very applicable, though: implicitly signaling that reading is a natural, enjoyable part of daily life can shift teens’ perspectives.

#readingtipsforparents #teenreaders #highschoolliteracy #middleschoolreading #readingforpleasure #dailyreading #improvereadingskills

“My kid never reads.”

It’s the most common concern I hear from parents of teens, and it’s complex. There’s certainly no quick fix to the not-reading problem, but a constellation of strategies can help.

1️⃣ Emphasize Choice- As teenagers explore their identities and assert their independence, the ability to self-select reading material can make a seemingly unenjoyable task a little more attractive.

2️⃣ Welcome All Genres- I often hear parents discount the value of their teens “just” reading graphic novels and other texts perceived as lesser-than, but the goal here is for teens to have opportunities to do cognitive work with words, and any text can provide that.

3️⃣ Increase Access- Where do your children SEE books? Where do they GET books? Regular visits to the library, paper magazine subscriptions, and centrally-located bookshelves in your home can lower the barrier to entry for your teen’s reading journey.

4️⃣ Protect Time- You don’t need to be told how chaotic your family’s calendar is. It’s unlikely you’ll find an hour for pleasure reading in your child’s schedule, but could you find 30 minutes? 20? 10? Anything is better than nothing–even if it’s on the drive to soccer or during the wind-down before bed.

5️⃣ Model It!- To be clear, you don’t have some deficiency as a reader (or parent) that has led to your child feeling unmotivated to read. The adage “monkey see, monkey do” is very applicable, though: implicitly signaling that reading is a natural, enjoyable part of daily life can shift teens’ perspectives.

#readingtipsforparents #teenreaders #highschoolliteracy #middleschoolreading #readingforpleasure #dailyreading #improvereadingskills

1️⃣ Root Words believes EVERY child can grow in reading and writing skills.

2️⃣ We also believe in the power of parent intuition and expertise in working toward that growth.

3️⃣ This week, we'll be starting a 4-part series to help equip parents with tools to support their 6th-12th graders in all things reading.

Stay tuned for mini lessons on topics like...
✨ Active reading habits
✨ Reading stamina
✨ Recommendations for reluctant readers

What reading and writing topics could you use support with?

1️⃣ Root Words believes EVERY child can grow in reading and writing skills.

2️⃣ We also believe in the power of parent intuition and expertise in working toward that growth.

3️⃣ This week, we'll be starting a 4-part series to help equip parents with tools to support their 6th-12th graders in all things reading.

Stay tuned for mini lessons on topics like...
✨ Active reading habits
✨ Reading stamina
✨ Recommendations for reluctant readers

What reading and writing topics could you use support with?

The 2025-26 school year has officially begun, and Root Words is bringing our focus on growth to everything we do.

📗 Root Words was founded in response to middle and high school students' too-often-unmet need for targeted reading and writing support.

🍏 Because of this, resuming our regular school year schedule—when we meet with the same roster of students once to twice a week, each week for the entire year—feels like returning to a core drive, a central purpose.

📗 Strengthening literacy skills can be slow-going. It takes stamina. Patience.

🍏 And in that long-haul, we return to our purpose to remind us why we're putting in the hours, why we're reading, writing, and reading some more, week after week.

📗 That purpose? To grow. To improve. There's not a more important or urgent purpose out there for our kids becoming the very best versions of themselves.

🍏 What core purpose are you growing around this year?

📗 Interested in growing with Root Words this year? Join the waitlist at the "Work With Us" link in bio.

The 2025-26 school year has officially begun, and Root Words is bringing our focus on growth to everything we do.

📗 Root Words was founded in response to middle and high school students' too-often-unmet need for targeted reading and writing support.

🍏 Because of this, resuming our regular school year schedule—when we meet with the same roster of students once to twice a week, each week for the entire year—feels like returning to a core drive, a central purpose.

📗 Strengthening literacy skills can be slow-going. It takes stamina. Patience.

🍏 And in that long-haul, we return to our purpose to remind us why we're putting in the hours, why we're reading, writing, and reading some more, week after week.

📗 That purpose? To grow. To improve. There's not a more important or urgent purpose out there for our kids becoming the very best versions of themselves.

🍏 What core purpose are you growing around this year?

📗 Interested in growing with Root Words this year? Join the waitlist at the "Work With Us" link in bio.

💚💙...in appreciation...💙💚

If you and I held an essay consultation, discovery call, reading intervention session, test preparation program, or even just a casual conversation this summer, it was only possible because of

THIS. MAN. RIGHT. HERE.

He has kept me fed, caffeinated, well-rested, focused, and encouraged through this busy summer season, and words will never be able to capture how thankful I am for his ability to give love without a second thought.

(...and that's saying a lot coming from a Word Girl)

Three cheers for my sweet Patch, Chief Care Officer at Root Words. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for a successful summer!

And if you're ever in need of history tutoring, hit up this man right here!

💚💙...in appreciation...💙💚

If you and I held an essay consultation, discovery call, reading intervention session, test preparation program, or even just a casual conversation this summer, it was only possible because of

THIS. MAN. RIGHT. HERE.

He has kept me fed, caffeinated, well-rested, focused, and encouraged through this busy summer season, and words will never be able to capture how thankful I am for his ability to give love without a second thought.

(...and that's saying a lot coming from a Word Girl)

Three cheers for my sweet Patch, Chief Care Officer at Root Words. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for a successful summer!

And if you're ever in need of history tutoring, hit up this man right here!

Rising senior ES got his 2024-25 MAP scores back two weeks ago. The results?

He made more reading and writing progress in the previous year than 99% of his peers.

Yes, NINETY-NINE PERCENT. In other words, he achieved the top 1% of growth for students in his grade level.

How'd we make that happen? Through long-term, intentional, personalized instruction...

Not to mention E's indefatigable hard work.

His family invested in 20 hours of instruction last summer, 90 minutes per week (every week!) last school year, and 25 hours this summer.

We slowly built toward his potential, and I couldn't be prouder of E or his growth.

Go, E, go!

Rising senior ES got his 2024-25 MAP scores back two weeks ago. The results?

He made more reading and writing progress in the previous year than 99% of his peers.

Yes, NINETY-NINE PERCENT. In other words, he achieved the top 1% of growth for students in his grade level.

How'd we make that happen? Through long-term, intentional, personalized instruction...

Not to mention E's indefatigable hard work.

His family invested in 20 hours of instruction last summer, 90 minutes per week (every week!) last school year, and 25 hours this summer.

We slowly built toward his potential, and I couldn't be prouder of E or his growth.

Go, E, go!

I choose to work exclusively in clients' homes because the familiar, comfortable, and predictable environment ensures that we have the perfect space for our session.

...and who doesn't want to cuddle their dog while practicing reading and writing?

Chief, Archie, Scout, and Bogart wholeheartedly approve of the in-home tutoring model.

I choose to work exclusively in clients' homes because the familiar, comfortable, and predictable environment ensures that we have the perfect space for our session.

...and who doesn't want to cuddle their dog while practicing reading and writing?

Chief, Archie, Scout, and Bogart wholeheartedly approve of the in-home tutoring model.

Live footage of me celebrating my students' amazing wins this summer!

Since the end of school, Root Words has helped students achieve all kinds of growth, like...

🙌 Increasing an ACT score from 26 to 33 in official practice tests

🙌 Increasing an SAT score 40 points in official practice tests after JUST. ONE. SESSION.

🙌 Crafting compelling, unique, polished Common Application essays (including 3 students who are 100% finished!)

🙌 Insightfully analyzing complex full-length novels by applying close reading strategies we've been cultivating for a year

...and there's so much more to celebrate coming up.

Man, I love my job.

Live footage of me celebrating my students' amazing wins this summer!

Since the end of school, Root Words has helped students achieve all kinds of growth, like...

🙌 Increasing an ACT score from 26 to 33 in official practice tests

🙌 Increasing an SAT score 40 points in official practice tests after JUST. ONE. SESSION.

🙌 Crafting compelling, unique, polished Common Application essays (including 3 students who are 100% finished!)

🙌 Insightfully analyzing complex full-length novels by applying close reading strategies we've been cultivating for a year

...and there's so much more to celebrate coming up.

Man, I love my job.

Nearly anyone can help a student complete an assignment. Yes, it takes loads of patience and good rapport with kids but not much time or training outside of that homework help session.

Tutoring, though? Not so much. True tutoring is...

✅ intervention, remediation, or extension;
✅ targeted teaching that only an experienced educator can provide
✅ informed by data;
✅ highly personalized;
✅ intentional; and
✅ (often) long term.

This is why I spend hours each week planning mini lessons and producing practice exercises. It's why I keep detailed notes on each session, including a student's progress, current challenges, and next steps. It's why I put my M.A. in English to use in every session I hold, even when I'm supporting younger students completing fairly simple tasks.

This is also why I meet with students 1-3x a week every week, even when they don't have a specific assignment for class: we're following our plans to become insightful readers and clear writers.

#literacycoach #charlottetutors #wordnerd

Nearly anyone can help a student complete an assignment. Yes, it takes loads of patience and good rapport with kids but not much time or training outside of that homework help session.

Tutoring, though? Not so much. True tutoring is...

✅ intervention, remediation, or extension;
✅ targeted teaching that only an experienced educator can provide
✅ informed by data;
✅ highly personalized;
✅ intentional; and
✅ (often) long term.

This is why I spend hours each week planning mini lessons and producing practice exercises. It's why I keep detailed notes on each session, including a student's progress, current challenges, and next steps. It's why I put my M.A. in English to use in every session I hold, even when I'm supporting younger students completing fairly simple tasks.

This is also why I meet with students 1-3x a week every week, even when they don't have a specific assignment for class: we're following our plans to become insightful readers and clear writers.

#literacycoach #charlottetutors #wordnerd

💚One of the best things about my job is that I get to build meaningful relationships with students' families.

💚💙 Since I get to know yours, let me introduce mine! Here are just a few of my beloved people from the Beeman and McNerney clans:

💚💙💚 From my big brother Jake, always my biggest champion, to all of my brilliant nieces and nephews, I am proud to come from and be loved by these incredible people.

💚One of the best things about my job is that I get to build meaningful relationships with students' families.

💚💙 Since I get to know yours, let me introduce mine! Here are just a few of my beloved people from the Beeman and McNerney clans:

💚💙💚 From my big brother Jake, always my biggest champion, to all of my brilliant nieces and nephews, I am proud to come from and be loved by these incredible people.

✨A core belief of mine is that authentic relationships nurture the most impressive 🌱growth🌱.

✨It's not magic; long-term investments in trust and deep empathy allow students to feel safe enough to challenge themselves and take risks.

✨Stick with me this week as I take some time to introduce myself and begin to get to know you, too.

✨Which of my professional qualities resonates with you?

✨A core belief of mine is that authentic relationships nurture the most impressive 🌱growth🌱.

✨It's not magic; long-term investments in trust and deep empathy allow students to feel safe enough to challenge themselves and take risks.

✨Stick with me this week as I take some time to introduce myself and begin to get to know you, too.

✨Which of my professional qualities resonates with you?

💚 🌱Root Words Literacy Coaching is now live! 🌱💚

The culmination of my 10+ years as an educator, this company reimagines what reading and writing support for middle and high school students looks like, how it is delivered, and what it can accomplish.

Root Words fosters abundant growth—not just higher scores—for young readers and writers, cultivating their ability to think critically and develop ideas logically because, after all, literacy lies #attheroot of all learning.

Offering in-home tutoring that supplements classroom instruction, our educators leverage thorough communication, extensive professional experience, and empathetic awareness to design high-impact lessons and practice in whichever way works best for each student uniquely.

No two students are the same. No two lessons are the same.

Interested in learning more about how we can help your middle or high schooler approach literacy tasks with confidence and skill? Visit our website (designed by the incredible @swell.design.co !)

💻rootwordsliteracy.com 💻

#literacycoach #fyp #charlottetutors #brandlaunch

💚 🌱Root Words Literacy Coaching is now live! 🌱💚

The culmination of my 10+ years as an educator, this company reimagines what reading and writing support for middle and high school students looks like, how it is delivered, and what it can accomplish.

Root Words fosters abundant growth—not just higher scores—for young readers and writers, cultivating their ability to think critically and develop ideas logically because, after all, literacy lies #attheroot of all learning.

Offering in-home tutoring that supplements classroom instruction, our educators leverage thorough communication, extensive professional experience, and empathetic awareness to design high-impact lessons and practice in whichever way works best for each student uniquely.

No two students are the same. No two lessons are the same.

Interested in learning more about how we can help your middle or high schooler approach literacy tasks with confidence and skill? Visit our website (designed by the incredible @swell.design.co !)

💻rootwordsliteracy.com 💻

#literacycoach #fyp #charlottetutors #brandlaunch

We've been growing quietly, cultivating deep roots to support our big, bold vision for reimagined literacy learning.

Grow with us into our next phase: check back on Friday, September 6 for an exciting announcement about Root Words Literacy Coaching.

🍀🌴🌲💚🌱🌳🌿

#comingsoon #literacycoach #fyp

We've been growing quietly, cultivating deep roots to support our big, bold vision for reimagined literacy learning.

Grow with us into our next phase: check back on Friday, September 6 for an exciting announcement about Root Words Literacy Coaching.

🍀🌴🌲💚🌱🌳🌿

#comingsoon #literacycoach #fyp

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