Ep. 56 - I'm Not Reading, But Everyone Else Is with Carrie De Francisco

“I’m not reading, but everyone else is.”

If you’ve ever heard your child say this (or felt it echo quietly in your own head) this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I’m joined by Carrie DeFrancisco for a live conversation inside Day in the Life (DITL) community. Carrie is a longtime homeschool parent, former classroom teacher, homeschool coach, and podcaster. And she’s also an accidental homeschooler and the mother of a neurodivergent, dyslexic learner.

Together, we talk about what really helps when a child’s reading timeline looks different.

Not from a place of fixing or rushing. Not from a school-based lens. And not by pathologizing kids who learn differently.

Instead, we explore:

• what’s actually happening when a child notices they’re “behind”
• how to respond without layering adult fear onto a tender moment
• what supports dyslexic and late-reading kids over time (and what creates more friction)
• how true learning develops through story, meaning, relationship, and interest
• what success can look like when decoding comes later, including into the teen years

This conversation is about reading, yes … but it’s also about trust, identity, and what happens when we let development unfold without a stopwatch.

If you have a dyslexic learner, listen closely.

If you don’t, still listen … because every child has a place where their timeline looks different.

This is a conversation for parents who are done chasing benchmarks and ready to notice what’s already growing.

Resources + Links

• Connect with Carrie DeFrancisco and explore her work here
• Listen to Carrie’s podcast featuring her son Joe
• Learn more about Day in the Life (DITL) and be notified when doors open again
• Explore coaching with Kelly 1:1 if you want support meeting your neurodivergent child where they are and navigating self-directed education with confidence