Lesson Learned: It wasn't too late for my flowers, and it's never too late to learn to read.

I have four identical Hibiscus plants: two in one pot and two in a different type of pot. I used the same store-bought soil for all four plants, watered them equally, and placed each in the same sunny area.

However, while two plants were thriving, the other two were not. I continued to water and observe them, but I soon realized that I needed to find out why. Unlike the two vibrant flowers, simply watering them didn't help.

Upon examining the first struggling plant, I discovered that the pot held water at the base like a pond, preventing it from reaching the plant. The self-watering pot prevented the plant from getting water like its neighbors in their standard planter. Instead of continuing to water the plant excessively, like we often do when we provide unhelpful resources to learners, I realized I needed to do better to uncover the reason why and how to help my flowers and learners if I was to expect a better outcome. And that I did for both my flowers, my students, and my clients.

I hope this post reminds everyone that when we think about learning to read and grow, whether it's plants or human brains, we need to understand what will help or hinder their development. Humans are not one-size-fits-all—or should I say one-pot fits all!

My message is: instead of repeating the same information when we know it's not producing a positive outcome, we should look inside and ask ourselves how we can create a solid foundation for life by understanding and addressing the needs of others.

I hope to be a resource for your reading life and that of a loved one.