Hi [First Name],

Hello Reader,

Have you ever asked your child what they just read — and gotten a blank stare back?

Not because they didn't try. Not because they can't read the words. But because somewhere between the first sentence and the last, nothing connected.

I used to think that meant we needed more reading practice. More fluency drills. More time with the text.

Then I learned about a study from 1988 that changed the way I teach — and the way I think about every child who stares blankly after reading a full page.

It has nothing to do with reading skill.

And once you hear it, you won't be able to unsee it.

I want to invite you into something I've been building.

It's called The Notebook — a podcast that lives inside our free Learning in a Distracted World community, hosted by Nick and Nora, the AI team of Learning in a Distracted World.

Every episode takes one of the big ideas from the blog and turns it into a real conversation. Not a summary. Not a lecture. The kind of conversation where someone says the thing you've been thinking but didn't have words for yet.

Episode 1 is live right now.

Nick and Nora dig into background knowledge — why it often matters more than reading skill for kids with ADHD and dyslexia, what that 1988 study actually found, and what you can do about it starting this week at your kitchen table.

It's free. It's about as long as a drive to school. And it's waiting for you.

​Join the Community and Listen to Episode 1​

Already a member? Here is the direct link to the Episode 1 Post:

​Episode 1: Why Background Knowledge Beats Reading Ability​

And if that's not enough to get you in the door —

Episode 2 will be available soon.

It's called Making Thinking Visible. Nick and Nora walk through the annotation system Kelly uses with her own 5th graders — the one that takes five minutes to set up and works across every subject. No teaching background required. Just a highlighter and a kitchen table.

Plus Nick and Nora share what happened when they tried it with their own kids. Nora's moment with her daughter Lily stopped me when I heard it. I'll let her tell you herself.

No perfect parents in here. No magic fixes.

Just real conversations and strategies that are built right — and lived imperfectly.

Come listen.

Kelly

P.S. — Both episodes include an after show where Nick and Nora go back through questions, clear up things that needed more nuance, and share what was happening in their own house that week. It's worth staying for.

Before you go —

If you're building a reading life with your child but still feel like you're guessing at your role as a parent — the Head Coach Starter Kit is the place to start. It's free. It reframes everything.

→ Get the Head Coach Starter Kit (free)
​

☀️ Exclusive Preview: Destination Success Summer Boot Camp

This summer I'm running a 5-day live boot camp built specifically for families of kids with ADHD and dyslexia — and email subscribers get first access before it opens to the public.

The arc is simple: Reflect. Reset. Rebuild. Relaunch. We'll spend five days together building the habits and systems that make September feel different.

Waitlist is open now — free to join, no commitment.

→ Save my spot — Destination Success Waitlist ​

Check out some of my other resources.