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When you're in the moment and not sure what to say or do next...

This is the support you've been missing.

You don't have to choose between play and literacy.

This is where you learn how they actually work together, in real time, in your everyday moments. 

This is where you come when:

  • you're not sure how to respond to a child in the moment
  • you're deciding whether to step in or step back
  • things get busy and you feel yourself slipping into old habits

Inside the Lab, you don't just learn what to do.

You get support while you're actually doing it.

Join as a Founding Member

Founding member rate: $74/month • Limited to 15 members

The Lab Is For You If . . .

💟 You're an early childhood educator, homeschooler, or program director who believes in the power of play, but wants support connecting it to intentional literacy development.

💟 You notice some children are ready for more explicit literacy instruction, and want help knowing when and how to respond.

💟  You want real-time support, ideas, and guidance without reinventing the wheel.

💟  You are craving connection with peers who understand the challenges of early literacy

💟 You care for multi-age children and need flexible, real-time ways to support literacy without sacrificing play, curiosity, or connection.

Get The Support I've Been Missing

Why This Matters

You’re trying to hold it all: play, expectations, and what children actually need.

You're running a play-based program—or creating a play-rich homeschool—in a world that still prioritizes worksheets, assessments, and rushed timelines over connection and curiosity. 

I see you:

✔︎ A child starts showing interest in letters… and you’re not sure how far to go.

✔︎ You’re trying to stay true to play, but also feel pressure to "cover" literacy

✔︎ You leave the day wondering if you did "enough" to prepare kids for what's next, whether it’s public school, a new grade, or simply the future.

✔︎ You're advocating for the value of play to families, administrators, or extended relatives that don’t always understand. (Yes, even when Aunt Karen sends you “learn to read in 100 easy lessons.” 🙃)

I see you… because I was you.

You believe in the power of play. 

You know there’s a better way.

But trying to figure it out on your own?

Piecing things together. Second-guessing your choices. Carrying it all.

It’s exhausting.

Step Into the Lab

It doesn’t have to be either/or.


 You can support literacy while honoring children’s play.

You can build an environment that aligns with both the Science of Reading and child-led learning.

You can feel more confident in your decisions and trust that what you’re doing is enough.

 

Inside the Play-Led Literacy Lab, you begin to...

  ★ Notice literacy opportunities you used to miss

  ★ Feel more confident in how you respond in the moment

  ★ Connect play, language, and literacy more clearly

  ★ Trust that what you're doing is meaningful and enough

This is the work and you don’t have to hold it on your own anymore.

Ready to feel more clear, more confident, and more supported in your day-to-day?

You don’t have to figure this out on your own anymore.

Get the Support I’ve Been Missing

This isn't a one time program.

It's an ongoing space where you can keep showing up, asking questions, and refining your practice over time with support.

What You'll Get

Live Calls (3x/month): Discuss challenges, explore strategies, and get expert guidance in real-time about what’s actually happening in your learning environment

Group Chat: Ask questions, share wins, and connect with a supportive network anytime

Growing Resource Library: Access an evolving collection of lessons, storytelling strategies, and literacy guides

Community & Accountability: Learn alongside peers, celebrate progress, and feel supported every step of the way

You don't have to have the "right" questions, just bring what you're noticing.

Get the Support I’ve Been Missing

I'm Laura.

Most people would describe me as a teacher, storyteller, mother, wife, and business owner. But really? I'm an advocate and life-long educator.

With a Master's Degree in Teaching Reading, 15 years of experience in public preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and a deep understanding of the Science of Reading, I bring both research and real-world experience to the table.

These days, I'm also an unschooling parent, in my third year of learning alongside my kids. I know what it means to trust the process of play and curiosity, even when the world pushes for something else.

I’ve stood where you're standing—trying to justify play in a system that prioritizes outcomes over the process. I know the weight of that tension.

I'm here to support you as you figure out what this looks like in your life.

Let’s break free from boxed curriculums and top-down mandates. Together, we’ll reclaim the authentic, fulfilling learning that happens through play.

What's included in the Lab?

Live Calls (3x/month)

Real-time support to troubleshoot barriers, celebrate wins, and get inspired by a community that gets it.

Private Support Group

Ask questions, share insights, and build connection with like-minded educators, homeschoolers, and caregivers.

Growing Resource Library: 

An evolving collection of pre-recorded trainings, storytelling resources, and literacy guides.

Join the Lab now!

One monthly payment for access to everything at a pace that works for you

Founding Member Rate:

$74 $97

MONTHLY

  • Expert guidance: Learn, reflect, and grow with targeted support. In real time. In real situations. With real people.
  • Live calls (3x/month): Connect, strategize, and troubleshoot in real time. (Mondays at 7:30pm EST)
  • Private group chat: Share ideas, ask questions, and get ongoing support.
  • Pre-recorded mini-trainings and occational invitations: Access bite-sized learning to deepen your understanding.
  • Tools and templates: Ready-to-use resources that simplify your journey.
  • Continuous access as long as you're a Lab member: Revisit recordings and materials whenever you need them.  

Founding member rate is locked in for life: join early, shape the community, and grow with us.

Join as a Founding Member

Instant access. Founding rate locked in. Cancel anytime.

The Play-Led Literacy Lab

 

Tired of self-paced courses that don't translate to your actual day?
Overwhelmed by conflicting advice about how children learn to read?

The Play-Led Literacy Lab was created for this exact gap. 

Not more information. 
Support in using what you already know.

A place to ask questions in real time.
To think through what’s happening in your learning environment.
To feel confident in the choices you’re making without second-guessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

✨ Founding Member Pricing closes on Wednesday, April 29th or once all 15 spots are filled! ✨

Join now to receive the founding member rate before doors open publicly.

Join as a Founding Member

What past educators have shared after working with me

"It is great to have confirmation that I am doing things that align!  It’s also wonderful to have the resources and the push to do more while doing less!”  -Attendee of recent workshop

"Laura Shea is a brilliant early literacy speaker and presenter. She is so passionate and knowledgeable about the topic.  She brings in her own personal experiences as an early childhood teacher that makes the content she is sharing so relevant and doable. ” -Co-President of PNW chapter of WAEYC

You don't have to figure this out alone anymore.

When questions come up, when something isn’t clicking, or when you just want to feel more confident in what you’re doing, this space is here for that.

You can keep piecing this together on your own or you can step into a space where you’re supported in it.

Join the Play-Led Literacy Lab →