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

It's usually not because you don't care

It's because you're trying to interpret what's happening.

Is this enough?
Should I step in?
Should I wait?
Is this literacy?

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 a thought partner while you're actually doing it.

Join as a Founding Member

Founding member rate: $47/month • Limited to 10 members

This isn't a one time program.

Self-paced courses are helpful. But they can't respond to your classroom.

The Play-Led Literacy Lab was created to bridge that gap.

It's an ongoing place to bring real questions, think through real moments, and keep refining your practice over time.

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 to connect 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 to become more confident noticing what children are showing you, naming the literacy within it, and deciding how to respond.

💟  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 interpret literacy without sacrificing play, curiosity, or connection.

Step Into the Lab

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. 

Most educators don't need more literacy activities.
They need a better way to interpret what's already happening.

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 don't need more ideas.

You need more certainty.

But trying to figure it out on your own?

It’s exhausting.

Start Making Confident Decisions

Here's what changes.


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

  ★ Notice literacy opportunities you used to miss

  ★ Feel confident explaining the thinking behind your decisions.

  ★ Connect play, language, and literacy more clearly

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

Ready to practice with us? 

Step Into the Lab

Here's how we do it

Every month you'll practice:

  • noticing literacy opportunities
  • interpreting children's play
  • deciding when (and when not) to step in
  • choosing intentional next steps

With

Observation & Reflection Calls (live calls 2x/month): Bring a video, photo, story, question, or classroom moment. Together we'll slow it down, notice what children are showing us, connect it to literacy, and decide what to do next.

Private Community: Share observations, celebrate discoveries, ask questions, and learn alongside educators who are developing the same noticing lens.

Play-Led Literacy Library: Build your understanding with an evolving library of trainings, examples, and resources that help you recognize literacy through play.

Reflection & 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.

I'm Ready to Join

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 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. For two years I studied my own classroom, documenting hundreds of observations while completing my Master's in Teaching Reading. I wasn't looking for ways to add literacy to play. I was trying to understand where literacy was already living.

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.

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

I don't have all the answers.

But I'll help you think through the right questions.

What's included in the Lab?

Observation & Reflection Calls (2x/month)

Bring real moments from your week to think through together. Practice noticing literacy, making intentional decisions, and leaving with greater clarity and confidence.

Private Community

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

Play-Led Literacy Library: 

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

Your First Week Inside the Lab

Joining doesn't mean you're suddenly expected to have everything figured out.

Here's what your first week might look like:

✔️ Step 1: Log in and explore the play-led literacy resource library.

✔️ Step 2: Introduce yourself inside our private Telegram community.

✔️ Step 3: Join the next live Q&A call—or watch the replay if you can't make it.

✔️ Step 4: Bring one question, one observation, or one moment from your week.

That's it.

You don't need to come with the "right" questions or have everything organized.

Just start noticing.

We'll build from there.

Join the Play-Led Literacy Lab

What educators are experiencing inside this work

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

Founding Member Rate:

$47 $74

MONTHLY

  • Make confident literacy decisions: Bring real questions. Leave with clarity. In real time. In real situations. With real people.
  • Live calls (2x/month): Connect, strategize, and troubleshoot in real time. (Mondays at 7:30pm EST)
  • Private community: 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

Lab + Private Coaching

$197

MONTHLY

Everything in the Play-Led Literacy Lab, plus:

  • One private 60-minute coaching session each month: Bring videos, classroom moments, planning questions, or specific challenges for personalized support.
  • Individualized action plan: Leave each session with clear next steps tailored to your classroom, program, or homeschool.
  • Priority support: Get direct guidance between sessions when you need another set of eyes on a situation.

Perfect if you want more individualized support while still learning alongside the community.

Join the Lab + Coaching

 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, August 26th 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 →