Hi, I'm Heather! 👋
I'm the granddaughter, daughter, and niece of elementary school teachers — and a teacher myself! I have a deep passion for education and helping every child discover the joy of reading.
As a mother of fraternal twin boys, I wanted to teach my own children to read. I spent hundreds of dollars on materials, but nothing quite worked the way I needed it to. So I put my degrees to use and created my own system.
By age 2, both of my boys were reading and sounding out words — and when I shared a video on Facebook, other parents started asking how I did it. That's how First Step Reading was born in 2010!
Education & Credentials 🎓
UC Berkeley — Bachelor of Arts, Art Practice
University of California Berkeley — one of the top universities in the world
UCLA — Master's Degree, Elementary Education
University of California Los Angeles — specialized in how children learn to read
Certified Elementary School Teacher
Years of classroom experience teaching children of all ages and learning styles
Mother of Twin Boys Who Both Read at Age 2
The First Step Reading method was tested first on Heather's own children — with incredible results!
The Program That Started It All 📖
Heather's approach is based on true phonics mastery — children learn why reading rules work, not just memorization. They understand short vowels, long vowels, digraphs, blends, and exceptions.
Since 2010, thousands of children have learned to read using Heather's methods. Many start as early as age 2 or 3, and all complete the program reading at a mid-Grade 1 level.
💌 Read Heather's Message 🚀 Start the Program