Raising Confident Readers

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If our VRA coaches had just five minutes with every parent of a struggling reader, what would they want them to know?

That question led to one of our most honest Coach’s Corner conversations yet.

In this episode of Raising Confident Readers, our coaches sit down together to talk about the things we wish more parents knew while walking through reading struggles with their children.

We talk about the danger of comparison, the guilt parents often carry when their child isn’t progressing like they expected, trusting your instincts when you feel like there may be more to the story, and why constantly jumping from one program to another may not give your child the time they need to make meaningful progress.

We also talk about something that really hit home for us: protecting your child’s relationship with reading.

Success doesn’t look the same for every child. For one student, it might eventually mean devouring novels and talking with an author about their favorite characters. For another, it might mean being able to read the driver’s manual so they can earn their license. For another, it might mean finally having the confidence to read the Bible independently.

Those wins matter.

Your child has their own story, their own goals, and their own journey. And as parents, sometimes one of the most important things we can do is stop comparing that journey to everyone else’s and start paying attention to the child right in front of us.

This is an episode for every parent who has ever wondered:

Am I doing enough? Why isn’t this working? What am I missing?

Grab a tissue for this one. A few of us definitely needed one. ❤️

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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What in the world do primitive reflexes have to do with reading?

That’s the question we’re digging into in this episode.

Over the last three episodes, you’ve heard Christine share her daughter’s story, from years of struggling with reading to finally becoming a confident reader. Then, in Part 3, we talked about what happened when her daughter came back to work on retained primitive reflexes, or RPR, and Christine began noticing changes in areas that had continued to be difficult even after her daughter could read.

Now we’re taking a deeper look at RPR itself.

What are primitive reflexes? Why does the body have them in the first place? What does it mean when a reflex is retained? And what could the nervous system, movement, balance, body awareness, attention, and development possibly have to do with a child who is struggling to read, write, or spell?

In this episode, Christine and I talk through the basics of primitive reflexes and some of the things we’ve learned as we’ve incorporated RPR into Vision Reading Academy. We talk about the “dimmer switch” analogy I use with our students, the connection between the nervous system and the rest of the body, and why we believe it’s important to look beyond one isolated symptom when a child is struggling.

We also talk about something I think parents need to hear: a child doesn’t necessarily have to have an obvious history of missed developmental milestones for there to be more to explore. Christine shares what she noticed with her own children, and I share some of my own family’s experience as we talk about how differently children can respond to the things they experience.

Most importantly, this episode is about asking a bigger question.

Instead of only asking, “Why is this child struggling to read?” what happens when we start asking, “What else is their body telling us?”

There is still a lot being studied and learned about retained primitive reflexes, but emerging research has found associations between persistent primitive reflexes and areas of motor and cognitive development, including reading and spelling. This is one of the reasons I continue digging into the research as we learn more about how all of these pieces may fit together.

If you’ve ever felt like there has to be another piece to your child’s puzzle, this is an episode you’ll want to hear.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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Christine’s daughter had finished Vision Reading Academy. She could read. She was reading books, writing papers, and doing things that once seemed almost impossible.

But about a year later, Christine could still see that a few things hadn’t completely fallen into place.

Spelling was still a major struggle. Writing didn’t always match what her daughter could read. Focus was difficult, even with things she enjoyed like cooking, sewing, and art. And with Christine’s physical therapy background, she was also noticing things with movement, body awareness, and the toe walking her daughter had done since she was little.

Then we added retained primitive reflexes, or RPR, into Vision Reading Academy.

As Christine began learning about RPR through her training as a VRA coach, she started looking at her own daughter differently. She went through the questionnaire with her husband, began connecting things they had noticed for years, and eventually decided to bring her daughter back to work on this new piece.

And once they started, things got really interesting.

In Part 3 of Christine’s story, we talk about what those first RPR exercises looked like, why they were so difficult for her daughter in the beginning, and the changes Christine began noticing along the way.

She watched her daughter sit down and stay focused on a school assignment for three hours when similar projects had previously taken weeks. She realized one day that the child who had walked on her toes for years suddenly wasn’t doing it anymore. She saw changes in ballet, movement, handwriting, spelling, and her daughter’s ability to actually recognize and apply phonograms she had been learning for years.

Some of these were things Christine had been working on with her daughter long before RPR ever entered the picture.

So what changed?

This episode is the real-life side of retained primitive reflexes through one family’s experience. Then in Part 4, we’re going to take everything you’ve heard in Christine’s story and dig into RPR itself: what primitive reflexes are, what it means when they’re retained, how they relate to the nervous system and development, and why we decided to make them part of Vision Reading Academy.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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In Part 1 of Christine’s story, we heard what it was like to watch her daughter struggle with reading for years and not understand why. We followed their journey from frustration and tears to a child who could finally pick up a book, read it, and believe in herself.

But there was another side to the story.

In Part 2, I ask Christine to look back at her daughter’s experience through her physical therapy background. Suddenly, some of the things that didn’t seem connected at the time start to look very different.

Christine talks about the tension and tenderness she noticed throughout her daughter’s head, neck, shoulders, and around her eyes, the headaches her daughter had accepted as normal, and even something as simple as refusing to wear swimming goggles because having them against her face was uncomfortable.

We also talk about the side of this journey that parents don’t always get to hear: what it felt like for Christine to know her daughter was struggling and not know how to fix it. She shares the feelings of failure, hearing over and over that her daughter would eventually “catch up,” watching progress happen in small ways her daughter couldn’t see yet, and why having someone outside the home recognize those wins mattered so much.

And just when it seemed like the major pieces had finally come together, Christine began noticing that a few things were still hanging on.

That’s where Part 3 of her story begins.

Her daughter had been out of VRA for about a year when we added retained primitive reflexes to the program. What happened when Christine brought her back to work on that piece opened up an entirely new part of their story- and gives us the perfect place to finally dive deeper into RPR and why it has become an important part of what we do at Vision Reading Academy.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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Christine knew her daughter was smart. She was creative, imaginative, and could tell incredible stories. But when it came to reading, something just wasn’t adding up.

Words she had just sounded out seemed unfamiliar moments later. Reading for more than a few minutes ended in frustration and tears. They changed curriculum, tried different approaches, and kept waiting for things to finally click. But by third grade, Christine knew this was more than simply needing more time.

In Part 1 of our conversation with Christine, now known to many of our families as Coach J, we’re going back to before she was ever a VRA coach. She shares what it was like to be the mom trying to figure out how to help her own struggling reader, the standardized test that became a major turning point, how she eventually found Vision Reading Academy, and what the journey looked like once they began.

And it wasn’t an overnight transformation. Christine talks openly about her daughter’s frustration with the work, wanting to quit, the small changes Christine could see before her daughter could, and the moment everything began to shift.

Eventually, the little girl who once avoided reading was standing in front of her class reading her own paper, finishing her first novel, and discovering something she hadn’t believed about herself for a very long time: she really could read.

This is Part 1 of Christine’s story, and there’s a lot more to come.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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Before she was Coach J, Christine was a mom trying to figure out why reading was so incredibly difficult for her daughter.

After bringing her children home to homeschool, Christine began noticing gaps she hadn't seen before. Her daughter could learn the material—but something wasn't adding up. Then came the moment that finally pushed her to look for answers: a practice test that was supposed to take 30 minutes took her daughter three HOURS to complete.

That's when Christine reached out to Vision Reading Academy.

But Christine brought a unique perspective to that first conversation. With a background as a Physical Therapist Assistant, a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science, and years of experience helping patients regain function, she started connecting the dots between what she already understood about the body and what she was seeing in her daughter.

And something clicked.

In this episode of Raising Confident Readers, we're introducing you to Coach J- not only as one of our incredible VRA coaches, but as a mom who walked this road with her own child first.

We talk about her daughter's journey, why Christine eventually became a VRA coach, what a session with Coach J looks like, how she motivates struggling students, and some of the unforgettable moments she's experienced watching children discover that reading doesn't have to feel so hard.

Christine also shares the story of one little boy whose parents found him hiding under the covers with a flashlight- not because he was playing a game, but because he couldn't put his BOOK down.

For a child who had spent years struggling to read, that moment meant everything.

We also dive into consistency, why progress doesn't always happen overnight, and why Christine believes the work they're doing goes far beyond simply helping a child get through a page.

Whether you're already part of the VRA family, considering the program for your child, or simply want to meet the people behind Vision Reading Academy, you're going to love getting to know Coach J.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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What does a child's reading transformation look like from the perspective of the parent who isn't doing the majority of the day-to-day work?

In this episode of Raising Confident Readers, we're hearing from Steve- a dad of seven whose daughter struggled with reading in a way his other children hadn't.

At first, Steve wasn't sure what to think about Vision Reading Academy. He had never heard of anything like it, it was outside of what he was familiar with, and he wondered, "Is this really going to work?"

But as the months went by, he started noticing changes.

There was less guessing. Reading became faster. Her confidence grew. She began tackling books she previously couldn't read- and eventually, the little girl who once struggled to get through reading was asking for bigger chapter books and devouring the Harry Potter series.

Steve also shares something his daughter had quietly been carrying that he didn't fully realize at the time: she had been praying for help to become a better reader.

That's when this conversation gets emotional.

We also talk about what it looks like to support your spouse and child through the program, why consistency matters even when a child doesn't want to do the work, and something Steve noticed that parents may easily miss- the reason a child resists exercises might not be the reason you think.

If you're a dad who isn't quite sure about all of this yet, a parent wondering whether the daily work is worth it, or a family currently in the middle of the program wondering when you'll begin seeing the bigger picture, this episode is for you.

Sometimes the person standing a few steps outside the day-to-day work can see just how far a child has actually come.

Listen to this episode of Raising Confident Readers and hear Steve's perspective on watching his daughter go from struggling with reading to developing a genuine love for books. 

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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What if the eyes are only one piece of a much bigger puzzle?

In this episode of Raising Confident Readers, Coach K sits down with craniosacral therapist Gail Walker for a fascinating conversation about looking beyond the eyes and considering how the body, nervous system, fascia, and life experiences may all intersect with the way a child functions and learns.

Gail has worked in bodywork since 2010 and discovered craniosacral therapy after realizing she wanted to help her clients look deeper than temporary relief. She describes craniosacral therapy as a gentle, light-touch approach focused largely on the central nervous system, relaxation, and restrictions throughout the body.

Together, Coach K and Gail explore the idea that what we see on the surface may not always tell us the whole story.

They talk about the relationship between the cranium, fascia, posture, the nervous system, and the structures surrounding the eyes; why birth history may be worth considering; and how tension in one area of the body can sometimes show up somewhere completely different.

The conversation also dives into:

• What craniosacral therapy actually is- and what it isn't
• Why Gail believes nervous-system regulation is such an important starting point
• The role fascia plays throughout the body
• Birth, infant tension, feeding challenges, and early body patterns
• Why Gail is passionate about working with newborns and educating parents
• Screens, body awareness, and the growing disconnect she observes in children
• The relationship between physical tension, focus, and learning
• Retained primitive reflexes and their connection to the nervous system
• Why emotions and physical experiences can't always be separated
• How different professionals and therapies may complement one another
• The importance of looking at the entire child instead of one isolated symptom

One of the biggest themes throughout this conversation is simple:

The body, brain, and eyes don't function as separate systems. They're all connected.

If you're a parent who loves asking why, wants to understand your child more deeply, or has ever wondered whether there's more happening beneath the surface of a reading or learning struggle, this episode will give you plenty to think about.

Join us as we nerd out on the science, explore new perspectives, and continue looking beyond the obvious symptoms to understand the whole child.

Want to get ahold of Gail yourself? Find her at https://healwithgail.com/

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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Last week, Kennessa shared the moment everything changed for her daughter.

This week, she shares what it actually took to get there.

In Part 2 of this heartfelt conversation, Kennessa opens up about the reality of walking through the Vision Reading Academy program with a child who didn't always want to participate.

There were tears.

There was resistance.

There were days when nothing seemed to go right.

But there was also hope.

Together, Coach K and Kennessa talk honestly about what it looks like to stay consistent when progress feels slow, how to motivate a child who wants to give up, and why the biggest transformations often happen one small step at a time.

You'll hear practical ideas that helped their family navigate the journey- including creating routines, using incentives, involving siblings, minimizing screen time before exercises, and learning how to work with a child's personality instead of constantly fighting against it.

Most importantly, you'll hear how confidence slowly replaced frustration.

The little girl who once shut down whenever she felt uncomfortable is now confidently reading signs, singing karaoke songs she's never heard before, trying new activities, sewing, shooting bullseyes in archery, and embracing opportunities she once would have avoided.

This episode is a powerful reminder that transformation doesn't happen overnight.

It happens through consistency.

It happens through hope.

It happens when parents refuse to give up.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why consistency matters more than perfection
• Practical ways to help reluctant children stay engaged
• How siblings and family support can make all the difference
• Why confidence grows long before parents realize it
• The "seed of hope" every struggling child needs
• What can happen when parents choose to keep showing up—even on the hardest days

If you've ever wondered whether all the hard work is really worth it, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children isn't just helping them learn to read.

It's helping them believe they can.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered. 

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What do you do when you've tried everything... and your child is still struggling?

In this heartfelt episode of Raising Confident Readers, Coach K sits down with Kennessa- a homeschooling mom of five- to share the emotional journey of watching one of her children struggle while all of her other children learned to read with ease.

Kennessa opens up about the guilt, frustration, and self-doubt that so many parents quietly carry. Was she failing her daughter? Was she using the wrong curriculum? Was she simply not doing enough?

Then one conversation changed everything.

After discovering Vision Reading Academy, Kennessa began looking beyond reading itself and started asking different questions. What followed transformed not only her daughter's ability to read, but also her confidence, independence, and outlook on life.

One moment in particular stopped everyone in their tracks.

While observing another student's assessment, her daughter looked at a demonstration of overlapping words and quietly said,

"Mom... that's how it always used to look."

She had lived her entire life believing everyone saw words the same way she did.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, you'll hear:

• The hidden signs that something wasn't quite right
• The emotional weight parents carry when one child struggles
• Why "trying harder" wasn't the answer
• The moment everything finally made sense
• How one discovery changed the trajectory of an entire family

Whether you're homeschooling, public schooling, or simply searching for answers, this episode is a reminder that sometimes the biggest breakthroughs begin with asking a different question.

Next week, Kennessa returns to share what happened after they found the missing piece—including the daily challenges, the resistance, the victories, and the incredible confidence that grew from staying consistent through the process.

Looking to learn more? Head to VisionReadingAcademy.com to learn more, sign up for a free assessment, or get your questions answered.