The Outstanding Results That Made My Jaw Drop!

The outstanding numbers and a little girl who found self belief.

Today I want to tell you about Jade.

She is one of my most recent case studies. And when her results came in my mouth hung open like a stunned mullet.

Jade is a little girl who spent years working harder than anyone around her and wondering why it never quite felt like enough.

Sound familiar?

Where Jade was when we first met.

Jade was 10 years old when her mum first reached out to me. She lives in Hawera so we did our initial consultation over two Zoom calls before mum drove her to Hawke's Bay to do the programme in person.

Even over Zoom I could see it immediately.

Jade was struggling with her reading. Not just the mechanics of it but finding meaning within the words. Understanding the context. Making sense of what she had just read. Spelling was a barrier. Writing was difficult because of it. And reading aloud was something she avoided whenever she could.

I could see in our very first conversation that her reading was quietly chipping away at her confidence.

When I tested her she chose a text called Trees which sits at a 6.0 to 7.0 age level. She is 10 years old. That choice told me everything about where her confidence was sitting.

Her goals were simple and heartfelt.

I want to get better at reading. I want to be able to read my work correctly. I want to be able to spell better.

She knew exactly what she needed. She just did not have the right tools yet.

What happened next.

I started working with Jade one to one in August last year. Six days. One intensive programme delivered exactly the way it was designed to be. Hands on. Personal. Built entirely around the way her brain actually works.

Our work together did not end after those six days. We continued with regular Zoom reviews to check in on Jade's progress and make sure her tools were working for her.

Nine months later her mum sent me a message that made my jaw drop.

What do the numbers actually say?

At the end of last year Jade's results were measured against the national average.

Her reading comprehension increased by 17.4. The national average increase is 8.2. Her vocabulary increased by 18. The national average sits at 8.5. More than double the national average. Across both measures. Nine months after her programme finished.

Read those numbers again. Let them sink in.

Nine months after her programme finished Jade's progress was still accelerating. Still building. Still growing.

This is not a quick fix. This is not a temporary boost. This is real and lasting change that kept going long after our six days together ended.

But the numbers are not the whole story.

Here is what her teacher said.

"I read with Jade today and she did great. She read double what she read at the last check in. She even smashed her personal goal. She has been working really hard in her fluency group each day."

And here is what her mum wrote to me.

"We are beyond thrilled with the support Nikki has given Jade through her dyslexia journey. From Jade's very first Zoom meeting Nikki had an incredible way of connecting with her. She made Jade feel comfortable, understood and genuinely excited about the process. Throughout our intensive week every morning session was engaging, positive and tailored in a way that made Jade want to keep showing up. Nikki's support didn't stop there either. The follow-up calls with us and Jade's teaching team showed her commitment to making sure Jade had support wrapped around her from every angle. Nikki has genuinely opened up a whole new portal for Jade. We have watched her confidence and abilities grow in ways we never imagined. These aren't just numbers to us. They represent a little girl finding confidence, understanding and belief in herself. We are so grateful for Nikki, her care, her passion and the way she sees and supports children. The impact she has had on Jade and our family has been life-changing."

I have read that message more times than I can count. That word still gets me every time.

So what actually happened in those six days?

My programme works with the way a picture thinker's brain actually processes the world. It does not fight against it. It does not ask a visual spatial thinker to become something they are not.

It gives them focus. Stability. Calm. The tools to work with their own extraordinary brain.

For Jade that meant finally understanding why letters and words had felt so confusing. Finally having tools she could use herself to settle her brain and get ready to learn. Finally experiencing what it felt like to read with confidence instead of dread.

And once she had those tools she did not stop. She kept going. She kept growing. Nine months later she is still accelerating.

That is the difference between a programme that teaches a child to cope and a programme that teaches a child to understand themselves.

What does this mean for your child?

The progress Jade made is not unusual. Working intensively one to one means every session is built around the individual child, at their own pace, addressing their specific challenges. That is what gets results like these.

Connect with me and let us talk about what is possible for your learner with the right tools and the right support.