About Rebuilding Literacy
Hi, I’m Naomi Turner — a coffee-loving, audiobook-obsessed, growth-minded, faith-led, fitness-powered high school Student Success Teacher, proud mama, and founder of Rebuilding Literacy. I live and work in Brantford, Ontario, where I help high school students who are at risk reach their full potential.
How Rebuilding Literacy Began
In 2018, I started my teaching journey at the University of Windsor, determined to become a high school academic English teacher. During a practicum placement at an inner-city school, everything changed. I was placed in a Student Success Room, where I worked with at-risk youth who needed extra academic support. At first, I was nervous — but I quickly discovered a hidden strength: connecting with struggling teenagers and helping them find success.
After graduation, my family and I moved to Brantford. I began my career teaching Business and Locally Developed English at a small local high school. Soon after, I was offered a full-time position as a Student Success Teacher — a role I still love today.
The Literacy Crisis
It didn’t take long for me to realize how deep the literacy gap ran. Many of my students were reading far below grade level. Some couldn’t read beyond a primary school level — and heartbreaking conversations with students made it clear that they felt abandoned by the system.
Teachers came to me asking for help, but the available resources were designed for early elementary students and weren’t connecting with teens. Worse, there was no funding for appropriate high school literacy materials, and no time in teachers’ packed schedules to deliver individualized one-on-one instruction.
We were failing our students — and I knew I had to do something about it.
Why I Created Rebuilding Literacy
I founded Rebuilding Literacy to fill a critical gap in support for high school students. I provide targeted tutoring in reading and literacy, while also supporting students across subject areas so they can strengthen their skills and keep up with course content.
My approach focuses on age-appropriate, practical strategies that help students improve their reading, writing, comprehension, and study skills — the tools they need to succeed in English, history, science, and beyond. Tutoring is designed to meet students where they are and support real classroom demands, including assignments, tests, and exams.
My goal is to make learning feel manageable and achievable for students, while giving families confidence that their child is building skills that will last. Together, we can rebuild opportunities for learners who have felt stuck or left behind.