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What Is Executive Function? Why Understanding and Concept Mastery Change Everything

Have you ever looked at your child and thought,"I know you can do this… so what's getting in the way?"Perhaps your child explains the maths problem perfectly on the way home from school. They tell you all about the book they're reading or confidently answer your questions over dinner. Then, a little later, they sit down to complete the homework and everything changes. They can't seem to get started. They forget what to do next, frustration grows, and before long you're both wondering what happ...

The Story Behind the Growing Choices Logo

It isn't just a logo.It tells the story of everything I believe about life, learning, and the people I have the privilege of working alongside. Every part has meaning....

Orientation – Where Learning Begins

Sometimes the first step towards easier learning isn't learning more. It's becoming oriented.Quite a few parents tell me they know their child is bright. They can see their imagination. They hear the wonderful ideas they come up with. Yet when it comes to reading, writing, or even following instructions, everything suddenly feels much harder.It doesn't seem to make sense.I've heard this story many times. Parents often ask me,"Why is my child finding learning so difficult when I know they're capa...

Dyslexia-Friendly Fonts: Do They Really Help?

Sometimes the biggest change isn't the font. It's how a child experiences reading. Quite a few parents ask me about dyslexia-friendly fonts. They've often read that changing the font might make reading easier, and they're wondering if it's something they should try. I think it's a really good question. And before I say anything else, if your child has found a font that feels more comfortable, that's wonderful. Anything that helps a child feel more confident with reading is worth celebrating....

What If ADHD Isn't About a Lack of Attention?

Lately, I've been thinking quite a bit about ADHD.Perhaps it's because more and more people are talking about it. Parents are asking questions. Adults are recognising themselves in conversations they've never had before. It feels as though ADHD is everywhere at the moment.I think that's a good thing.The more we understand, the more opportunities we have to support children in ways that really make sense.At the same time, I've found myself a little hesitant to talk about ADHD.Not because I don't ...

From Fear to Hope: How Learning is Changing Lives at Kakamega Global Star Academy

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A New Beginning Grows: An Update from Kakamega

You can help support children in Kakamega from the very start of their learning journey. Every contribution, big or small, helps create safe classrooms, empower teachers, and build an inclusive, strength-based model of education.💛 Donate hereScroll down to see the latest photos of the kindergarten kids and the maths tutoring centre....

Learning Through the Body: Why Movement Matters

A few years ago, Claire overheard a conversation as she walked past a young man and an authority figure.The words were sharp.“You’re lazy.”“You haven’t handed in your assignments.”“Study is off the menu.”Claire paused, not out of judgement, but out of curiosity and care, and gently asked a different question:“What happens when you read?”The young man’s answer was simple, honest, and devastating:“I start reading, but after the first few words, all the words disappear.The p...

The Kakamega Global Star Academy: From Kakamega to the World

We are excited to officially share the name of the school being established in Kakamega, Kenya:...

Reflection from IWWA Whānau Learning Team

Inviting indigenous and community groups, and anyone who relates to visual-spatial ways of thinking, to explore how the Davis Methods can support learning.Photo of our dedicated IWWA Whānau Learning Team. Literacy as Peace Education. From left to right: Parehuia Mafi, Claire Ashmore, Tutangiora Mafi....

The Davis Room: A Long-Held Vision for Learning, Family, and Growth

Some spaces are created quickly. Others are quietly imagined, planned for, and lived into over many years.The Davis Room is one of those spaces.Back in 2008, I took three weeks to step back and imagine the next chapter of my life. I began shaping a vision, not just of what I wanted to do, but how I wanted to live and work. It has taken over 23 years of planning, saving, learning, and patience, but that vision is finally taking physical form.At the heart of it was always the same intention: to cr...

Understanding Dyslexia Through Ron Davis: Perceptual Talent & Neurodivergence

When I first learned about Ron Davis’ story, it struck me deeply.Ron was called “dummy” as a child. He didn’t speak until he was 17 and couldn’t read until he was 38. He carried labels like autistic, dyslexic, “retarded,” and “uneducable.” And for a long time, he believed them.“I don’t like me,” he said.“I wasn’t a real human being. I was a mistake that God made.”As a parent or educator, you can imagine how heavy that feeling is, to live in a world that doesn’t se...

SEE BREAKING NEWS UPDATE Looking for a Christmas Miracle for Kakamega: can we secure a new venue for Dyslexic Learners in Kenya?

In Western Kenya, something extraordinary is unfolding — a quiet, determined movement to transform the future of children who think and learn differently.For the past five years, Geoffrey, a passionate Davis facilitator-in-training and finalist for the I Am Humanity Award has supported neurodivergent learners in Kakamega. Through his maths tutoring centres, he has witnessed the life-changing impact of the Davis® Methods on children who once struggled with reading, focus, confidence, and self-...

Small School, Big Impact: How Waihao Downs Keeps the Davis Magic Alive

When I last visited Waihao Downs School in 2018, Jane Severinsen’s sabbatical report highlighted something remarkable:  the Davis Learning Strategies® had become a natural part of the school’s culture. The results were clear: calmer classrooms, confident learners, and reading progress that exceeded expectations.👉 Read Jane’s 2018 sabbatical research here.Seven years later, I returned to see whether those results had stood the test of time. What I found was deeply encouraging....

Geoffrey’s Humanity Flourishing Award Finalist Certificate: A Moment of Pride

In the heart of Western Kenya, in Kakamega County, a rainforest region known for its rich wildlife and raw beauty, a quiet but powerful change is happening for children who learn differently. At the centre of it all is Geoffrey Ashiono, a dedicated educator and Director of a maths centre with three tutoring branches across the county.For many children in this region, dyslexia is misunderstood. By the time they are nine or ten, most have left school, labelled as “lazy,” and often punishe...

Geoffrey’s Journey to the Nairobi Conference

The Kakamega Project team was delighted that Geoffrey attended the Dyslexia Rising Africa Conference 2025 in Nairobi. He traveled safely to and from the city, and his stay was comfortable. But the stories, experiences, and connections he made left the deepest impression....

Support Your Dyslexic Child with Confidence at Home

For parents of children with dyslexia, the journey can often feel like a maze filled with confusing advice, trial-and-error programs, and constant worry over how to help at home. With so many options and so few clear answers, it’s easy to feel lost.But what if, instead of stress and uncertainty, you could start building real understanding, practical tools, and visible progress?That’s exactly what the Davis® Parent Power – Dyslexia Support Course is designed to offer....

Is It Ever Too Late to Overcome Dyslexia? John's Story at 65

Have you ever wondered if it's simply too late to improve your reading?Maybe you've spent decades believing you just weren't good at reading.Maybe school convinced you that you weren't smart.If that's you, or someone you love, this story may change the way you think about dyslexia forever....

Could Davis Learning Strategies Transform Reading in Your School?

Could your school be doing more to support students who struggle with reading—even when they've already received extra help?After seeing remarkable results with my one-to-one Davis programmes, I began asking a bigger question:Could this approach work across an entire school?That question eventually led me to educators in New Zealand, India, and Denmark whose work completely changed the way I thought about literacy support....

Are You a Mechanic Who Struggles to Write Reports?

Are you a mechanic, engineer, or tradesperson who struggles to write reports because of dyslexia?You're not alone.At Growing Choices in New Zealand, I've worked with many highly skilled adults who can solve complex mechanical problems but find reading, spelling, or paperwork unexpectedly difficult. One mechanic's story perfectly illustrates why dyslexia isn't a lack of intelligence, it's simply a different way of thinking....

Could Your Child Be Missing One Key Reading Skill?

Could your school be missing one simple strategy that helps struggling readers become calmer, more focused, and more confident?I recently completed a Davis Programme with a young girl who made progress. She worked hard, was focused, calm, and proud of herself by the end of the day.After our session, her mother invited me to visit their school. When I met the principal and heard the transformation, she said something that stayed with me:“I’d like to train ALL our teachers in this method.”It...

Does Your Child Panic When It's Time to Read?

Does your child panic, shut down, or become angry whenever it's time to read aloud?It can look like challenging behaviour. But sometimes the behaviour isn't the real problem—it's a child trying to protect themselves from embarrassment, fear, and repeated failure.One young learner taught me this in a way I'll never forget.When this young person first came through the door, they brought more than just a school bag. They carried with them three thick folders filled with academic reports that clea...

Could Dyslexia Be Holding You Back at Work?

Could dyslexia be holding you—or someone on your team—back at work?Sometimes the issue isn't motivation, intelligence, or attitude. It's that a highly capable person is working twice as hard to manage reading, written communication, and paperwork without the right support.One workplace discovered this firsthand. What happened next changed not only one employee's future but the way an entire team thought about dyslexia....

Is Your Bright 8-Year-Old Struggling to Read? Could Double Vision Be Part of the Reason?

Is your bright 8-year-old struggling to read, even though every eye test says their vision is fine?If you've been told to "wait and see," you're not alone.One family came to me after months of unanswered questions. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong, yet their son was seeing double and falling behind at school. Here's what happened next.When I first met this young boy, he was just eight years old—but already carrying the weight of immense frustration.His mum had reached out after months of u...

Healed by Hope: Kakamega’s Christmas Miracle That Transformed Dyslexia Into a Gift

I’ll never forget the moment Geoffrey joined his first Davis Methods webinar. It was 25 November 2021. At the time, we had no idea that one simple event would plant the seed for something so big. Today, that seed has grown into a vibrant dyslexia education project in Kakamega, Western Kenya.Although Geoffrey didn’t have a phone or data, he had determination. Thankfully, his community stepped in to help....