As the owner of Lit Up Literacy, I am dedicated to providing the highest quality reading and spelling remediation available. I believe in life long learning and constantly strive to 'know better, do better' for my students. With decades of experience working with children in various capacities, I have seen the incredible impact quality education can have on a child's confidence and abilities, particularly when it comes to literacy.  A winding road lead me to start Lit Up Literacy but the common themes throughout my career(s?) have been learning and literacy.  I am EBLI certified and Reading Simplified Certified.  I also trained in Barton and have my TEFL certificate, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology and my Early Childhood Education certification.

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I was born and raised in Saskatoon, SK and lived in Indiana in the USA for almost a decade while my husband earned his PhD.  There we were blessed with 4 beautiful children for whom I took on the role of "researcher of all things parenting and learning, primary caregiver, and educator." During this time I also ran a tiny home Montessori-esque preschool, and then taught English online to children in China.

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In 2018 we moved to Fredericton, NB and, over the years, added 2 dogs to our family.  It was here that I started Lit Up Literacy (formerly "Grasp Reading").  The overwhelming need for effective, personalized, and consistent intervention for students who were struggling quickly became apparent, and I've never looked back!

I came to Lit Up Literacy by way of a winding and fulfilling career path. I grew up in rural New Brunswick, where the Bookmobile was my gateway to the world of stories, and my love of language began early. English was always my favourite subject, and I graduated high school completely bilingual in English and French.

After moving to Toronto, I spent many years in communications and publishing before discovering my passion for teaching through culinary education. I loved helping students gain confidence as they learned new skills, and that joy in teaching has carried through to my literacy work today.

In 2020, I returned to New Brunswick. After spending time caring for my late husband, I began looking toward a new chapter focused on teaching and helping others learn. I now work as a supply teacher in the Fredericton area and continue to teach both cooking and literacy. I’m completing my EBLI certification and am thrilled to see my students light up as they gain new reading skills.

There’s always a stack of books on my nightstand, and I’m grateful that the library is much closer these days. I’m delighted to be part of the Lit Up Literacy team, helping others discover the same love of reading that started with the Bookmobile all those years ago.

Hello, I'm Dawna! My favourite thing to teach students is reading because I am a MAJOR bookworm.  Books are an alternative version of the travelling that I love so much.  Books are a portal to a million different worlds and dimensions that we can explore. There are no boundaries to the imagination, creativity and happiness we can obtain through books. The possibilities are endless and I love the feeling that anything is possible. I’m certified in EBLI (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction) and hold my teaching certification in Ontario. I currently teach EBLI online, and I can’t wait to help students discover the magic of reading!