PARENT TESTIMONIAL

• Have you ever felt the nudge that your child needed more support than they were getting at school? 

• Have you ever felt frustrated that you didn't have the tools, resources, time or engagement from your child to support them at home? 

Keep reading to learn more about one family's journey with Next Step's support as they watched their child grow from no confidence and “feeling dumb” to confident and proud! 

When asked to reflect on what life, learning and reading looked like before Next Step, here's what mom had to share: 

"We noticed our daughter had trouble with reading in Pre-K, when she had trouble learning her letters. At the end of her Kindergarten year, we realized that our daughter had not actually learned to read. We were shocked because this had not been picked up by her Kindergarten teacher. Our daughter did not know her letter sounds, had barely decipherable handwriting, and she hated reading, refused to read aloud when we tried to practice with her at home. She had no confidence in herself, thought she was "dumb". It was at this point that we began our search for a reading tutor…."

When asked what her child's relationship with reading is now, at the completion of her program she shared:

“We can honestly say that Ms. Schelzi saved our daughter's reading experience. Our daughter's confidence has grown so much over the past two years. She used to hate reading, and now we commonly find her sitting and reading chapter books on her own. She now loves to read out loud to us. Her handwriting and writing skills have improved dramatically. The change has been so dramatic, and we absolutely know, 100%, that this love of reading and her confidence is directly associated with our daughter's work with Ms. Schelzi.”

When asked if there was anything she would share with a family who is curious but hesitant about reaching out for support….

"We live in a town with an excellent school district, however, the reading curriculum is not science based, and does not work effectively for a lot of students. Some students learn to read despite this, but a lot of kids do not. 

Ms. Schelzi teaches reading, using the science based Orton-Gillingham method, which is logical, and lays down the foundation for all reading and writing skills going forward. Some kids' brains just need to be taught to read a different way, and Ms. Schelzi was perfect for this task. 

She is incredibly patient, enthusiastic about what she does, and really seems to love helping kids learn to read. We recommend Ms. Schelzi, hands down, no hesitation. She has transformed our daughter from a kid who hated to pick up a book, into a confident book lover."

If there's one piece of feedback that I wish for all parents of struggling readers, it's exactly what this mom said in conclusion:

All I can say is that Ms. Schelzi honestly saved 

my daughter's reading ability.

I believe so strongly that every child deserves to love to read. 

Every child deserves to feel empowered and confident with their reading. 

Every child deserves to have the experience of being a confident book lover!

If this family's story has you ready to take the next step in your child's reading success journey, applications are now available for my Fall 2025 Private Reading Program. 

Availability is limited, as I work with each child 2x/week, so if you're feeling the pull to explore further, click the application below today!

Happy reading!

Ms. Schelzi