Why we started literacy tree
Stephanie and Adam Newman are the founders of Literacy Tree. Stephanie has a Masters in Secondary Education and was a middle school ELA teacher for 10 years. Adam is a lifelong technology and social entrepreneur, always starting ventures that benefit society. When their 3rd son was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 8, they knew they needed to find a way for him to learn to read that was different from how he was being taught at school.
Stephanie quickly dove into and was trained to teach Orton Gillingham, which is a program based on the Science of Reading, and is designed to teach students with language-based learning disabilities. She worked with their son, and eventually with students around her community giving them the skills they needed to learn to read with confidence on grade-level.
Putting their heads and talents together, Adam and Stephanie realized that taking Stephanie’s proven curriculum online, they could reach students around the country who are falling through the cracks and either being held back because of their reading, or being pushed through the system and becoming one of the thousands of students who are graduating high school reading on a 4th grade reading level. Or, even worse, students who decide to drop out of school because it simply becomes too difficult when they can’t read.
The Literacy Tree was “planted” and we now serve students around the country, working with the very best, experienced and passionate educators who are thrilled to be able to change the lives of the students who need them.
