Our Story

As a parent, you want to do everything you can to set your child up for success.

When my daughter was born, I was determined to teach her to read before kindergarten. I believed that if she could learn to read early, she could read to learn, and that would open a world of possibilities, imagination, and opportunity throughout her life.

The problem was, I had no idea where to start.

There were so many opinions, programs, books, songs and methods — and each one seemed to teach one piece of the puzzle. So I did what a lot of parents do: I tried everything. I pulled ideas from different programs, talked with my mom, who was a kindergarten teacher, and paid close attention to what actually seemed to help my daughter connect sounds, words and meaning.

Over time, I began piecing together a simple progression that made sense.

Then one morning, everything changed.

My three year old daughter blended her first word.

I still remember the look on her face when it clicked. It was a lightbulb moment for both of us. In that instant, I realized reading wasn't nearly as complicated as I had been making it. The challenge wasn't finding more resources, it was about finding the right system.

Years later, during COVID, my daughter and I found ourselves homeschooling together. By then, she had become a passionate reader, devouring books like The Chronicles of Narnia and Little House on the Prairie.

Looking back on our journey, we began asking a simple question:

What if we could make learning to read easier for other families?

We knew any solution had to be simple, effective, and realistic for busy parents. So we got to work.

Over the next five years, we collaborated with educators, speech therapists, parents, and early literacy experts to create Celeste Learns—a calm, science-based reading program designed for babies and toddlers.

Built on seven proven literacy pillars, Celeste Learns turns early reading instruction into one simple daily habit: your child watches the same short lesson each day for 30 days before moving to the next.

No complicated schedules. No lesson planning. No overwhelming curriculum.

Just press play.

In the first 90 days, children are introduced to foundational skills including letter sounds, blending, and connecting words to meaning. Families who want to keep going can continue through the full nine-month program as skills become more advanced.

Our mission is simple: Open a world of possibilities, imagination, and opportunity for children by helping them learn to read so they can read to learn.

A Special Thanks

We are deeply grateful to the many people who helped bring this idea to life over the past five years. Celeste, our friendly green snake, was illustrated by Chris Kindrick, whose work brings warmth and personality to early learning. We also thank our partners at Stone Ward and 360 Filmworks . We are especially grateful to Amber Dodillet, our master pronunciation guide in the Celeste Learns to Read videos. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and a Master of Science in Special Education. And we are thankful to all the educators, speech therapists, and homeschooling parents who generously shared their insight and guidance to ensure this program truly supports how young children learn to read.