Learning To Read, Again

By: Christina Kelley, Co-Founder Adira Reads, CTO

My background is in building systems and solving complex problems, often through technology and data. So when I stepped into K–8 reading education, it felt like stepping back in time. Despite a lifetime with languages and books—as a multi-language learner with a literature degree—learning English as a teen was tough. I'd always assumed teachers were expertly trained in how children acquire not just a new language, but how to read. I was wrong. That’s a pretty complex problem to solve!

When we launched Adira Reads, I believed most teachers knew the science of reading: how the brain learns to read, the sequence of skill development, and how to apply that knowledge. It turns out, that's simply not the case. That gap is one of the reasons we built Adira Reads—to help our great teachers become reading science experts. We’re not here to replace curriculum or instruction. We’re here to give teachers what they’re often missing: clear, usable data.

Our AI-powered tool analyzes student assessment data and pinpoints exactly what skill a child needs next. It works with a school’s own teachers, schedules, and materials to generate a plan teachers can use right away.

The results have been striking. Teachers don’t just see a child struggling—they understand why. They see the root issue, whether it’s blending sounds or decoding vowel teams. That clarity focuses their instruction. It’s like flipping on a light in a dark room. Teachers aren’t defensive. They’re relieved. “Now I know what to do for that student!”

This work has taught me to read, again. I’ve learned about the visual word form area, how dyslexia rewires learning, and how phonics, phonemic awareness, and orthographic mapping build word memory.

Though it’s a new field, the work feels familiar: equipping people with the right tools and information to solve big problems. Reading isn’t innate—it’s taught. And helping every child learn to read might be the most important problem we solve. With the right data and support, teachers can unlock every student’s potential. That’s what makes this work worth doing.