When you find out you or your child have dyslexia or dysgraphia, you will often get referred to a list of specialized intervention providers who are specifically equipped to provide you with the right kind of intervention. It's vital you get the RIGHT KIND of intervention RIGHT AWAY in order to close gaps and make progress. Early intervention, like with anything else, is absolutely key.

However, as soon as you start calling those providers, you will realize one thing very quickly. It's expensive. Like, really expensive. And for many families, the price point can simply put the intervention out of reach. After four years of private practice in the city of Chicago, the going rates I've encountered range between $90-$140 an hour. With a minimum of two hours a week recommended by most professionals, this quickly adds up to $720-$1120 a month for the minimum amount of intervention. Yikes!

You'll also learn quickly that this intervention takes TIME to really close the gaps. Many students receive intervention for 2-3 years. This is a huge time commitment, which means a huge financial commitment. I've worked with many families who have had to stop services, even though their student was making excellent progress, simply because the price tag was too high. And as a mother of two (almost three!), I totally understand. We have limited resources and have to constantly be prioritizing where they go to provide for our whole family.

Before beginning my private practice, I taught in the public school classroom in Chicago. 95% of my students qualified for free and reduced lunch and intervention at such a high price point was out of the question.

For the last four years, I've been brainstorming as to how to make our services accessible to more students who need it from diverse income levels while still keeping the quality of instruction specialized and highly individualized. Redwood Literacy is the fruit of that brainstorming.

By offering intervention in small groups (3-5 students per certified instructor) and providing a sliding scale hourly rate, our hope is to make the RIGHT KIND of intervention accessible to everyone who needs it. With our full price hourly rate still 50% less than going rates across the city, we are able to offer half-price hourly rates and full scholarships based on income and academic need while providing a great deal for everybody.

Our hope is that this model will produce excellent data and accessible services for individuals from diverse demographics across this city we have grown to love so much. If you have questions about our services, would like to volunteer or get involved, or know somebody who would potentially be interested in what we offer, please reach out and spread the word!