S2E2 /// Inside Phillips Fundamental Learning Center

Show notes:  What happens when a school doesn’t just talk about the Science of Reading — but builds everything around it? In this episode, Jesica takes listeners inside the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center in Wichita, Kansas — a place where reading science meets compassion and children who once struggled to read are now thriving. Through powerful stories from parents, assessors, teachers, and leaders, we explore what’s possible when instruction is rooted in research, not guesswork. From the heartbreak that inspired its founding to the hope that fills every classroom today, Phillips stands as a model for how Kansas — and the nation — can transform literacy outcomes for all students.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:

• Jeanine Phillips — Founder of Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, sharing how her son’s struggle to read inspired a movement that’s changing the future of literacy in Kansas.

• Diane Lyon — Reflecting on her own reading journey and the power of schools that intervene early and with purpose.

• Why early reading assessments are a doorway to hope for struggling learners and their families.

• Connie Thompson — Director of Assessment, walking us through how Phillips’ unique assessment process uncovers the why behind each child’s struggles and gives parents a roadmap for hope.

• Jill Hodge — Academic Language Therapist and instructor in the Andeel Teacher Literacy Institute, explaining how teacher training rooted in evidence-based practices changes classrooms from the inside out. How Phillips’ model combines teacher training, student instruction, and assessment under one roof — creating systemic change.

• • Denise Kuhns — Director of Rolph Literacy Academy stresses the importance of providing dyslexic students with learning experiences that teach students the way their brains learn best.
  • The impact of structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham-based instruction for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges.

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• Sarah Collins, Stacie Swanson, Michelle Howard, Olivia Howard, Evie Glover, Audrie Mangel  — parents and students at Rolph Literacy Academy on how structured literacy transformed their children’s confidence, skills, and futures

• Chartell Grissom — Newer Alphabetic Phonics Teacher shares the realization of how phonemic awareness is empowering students.

• Denise Richalano — Stern Math Teacher uncovers the transformational growth true discovery learning provides neurodivergent learners.

• Why literacy isn’t optional — and how compassion, science, and community together make transformation possible.

• • Emily DeGraaf — Homeschool Mom empowered by training at the Andeel Literacy Teachers Institute is now seeing her dyslexic daughter make gains!

• Aaron and Gabby Roach — Parents whose son was diagnosed with dyslexia and found success through structured literacy tutoring and support, sharing how their family’s story turned from frustration to freedom.

“Children who struggle to read aren’t broken. The system is. And it’s our job to fix it.” — Jeanine Phillips Call to Action: Schedule a tour at Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, apply for your 5–8-year-old child to attend Rolph Literacy Academy before Christmas, or call today to schedule an assessment — it could be the doorway to hope your family has been searching for.

Resources & References

1. International Dyslexia Association. “What is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?”
2. Galuschka, K. et al. (2021). Effectiveness of Structured Literacy for Children with Reading Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis
3. Seidenberg, M. (2017). Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can't, and What Can Be Done About It National Council on Teacher Quality (2023). Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Reading Instruction
4. Phillips Fundamental Learning Center internal outcomes report. 
5. National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruc