Building Confidence through Literacy: Marley’s Story

When Marley arrived at Joe’s Kids, she was a bright, creative 8‑year‑old who had been working hard for years—but still fell behind in reading. Diagnosed with ADHD, she struggled to keep pace with her peers, and confidence was beginning to slip.

That’s where targeted support made a difference.

Through individualized, one‑to‑one tutoring using the Orton‑Gillingham approach, Marley began building essential reading skills step by step. Working through Level 2 of the curriculum, she tackled challenging concepts such as vowel teams, decoding, fluency, and comprehension—skills that take time, practice, and persistence to master.

Marley met the challenge with determination.

Her therapist, Lisa, sees that commitment every week.

“Level 2 introduces many new phonics rules, and Marley has done an amazing job working through each one. This reflects real perseverance.”

Today, Marley is nearly ready to move on to Level 3—an important milestone that once felt out of reach. Her progress is also reflected at school. While she continues working toward passing the iRead assessment, her most recent score came very close, a meaningful sign that skills developed in tutoring are transferring into the classroom.

Equally important is the change in how Marley sees herself.

In sessions, she reads with more ease, shares stories, and chooses books she enjoys. She participates willingly and takes pride in what she has learned. That confidence has carried over into school, where she recently told her teacher she had already learned a new concept at Joe’s Kids—an empowering moment for a child who once felt behind.

Her mother, Kristen, has noticed the difference. Kristen also shares that the encouragement extended to her as a parent.

“Joe’s Kids provides more than just therapy—they provide belief in every individual and hope for families.”

For this family, Joe’s Kids became a partner—providing consistent support, individualized instruction, and reassurance that progress is possible.

Because of caring people like you, children like Marley are gaining the skills they need to succeed and the confidence to use them. Your support will ensure that each child receives the focused attention, proven instruction, and encouragement that builds life‑long learners.

A small monthly gift can mean hope for a child and their family. Become a child sponsor today and make a lifelong impact for a child like Marley.

https://www.joes-kids.org/donate/