NOTTINGHAM NORTH

I am very excited to be starting my journey as the Reading Doctor for Nottingham North. I have been lucky enough to have been a teacher for 30 years, working predominantly with Key Stage 1, specialising in phonics and early reading. Over my years as a teacher, I have worked with many SEN children and those with a range of behaviour and learning difficulties. Finding ways to encourage, teach, guide and support all children, removing their learning barriers and keeping them positive and motivated is something that has always been important to me but is always a challenge within a classroom setting. Children can very easily become disengaged and feel like they ‘can’t, which can then result in a child that doesn’t want to try and has ‘switched off’ to reading. That is why becoming a Reading Doctor is so exciting for me. To be able to teach one to one, building confidence and trust in a positive environment where children who have struggled can begin to feel positive about reading again, is an amazing opportunity and huge privilege.
When working in schools, my classroom was always a place where children were excited by reading. Every morning children would proudly bring in a book to celebrate and share knowing that I would be excited to share it with everyone. I loved to create inspiring reading corners where children could curl up with a book and relax. One of my favourites was when the children walked in to find a snow cave completely white with twinkly lights, silver cushions and quilts that they could snuggle under and read. That sense of awe and wonder, that reading is exciting and can take you to amazing new worlds as well as teach you wonderful things is the message that I try to ensure all my students leave my classroom believing.
I look forward to welcoming you to my reading room, a place where your child can take their first steps to becoming an enthusiastic, lifelong reader.