Leafscript:
Draw. Spell. Read.™
$55/ 30 minutes of child-led, child-centered
literacy introduction & immersion.
Fun and interactive.
For Preschool - Grade 2
Or
Struggling Readers and Writers
Fully customized to your child's needs.
(For older children, see Online Tutoring.)
Leafscript: Draw. Spell. Read.™
Early literacy through drawing and bookmaking
Every child has a story to tell. This summer, your child will tell it
through drawing, their own words, and a book they author themselves.
A Relaxed Reading Revolution™ program from
On Track Occupational Therapy & Multisensory Reading
A leaf holds the pattern of the whole tree in its veins. A child's drawing holds the seeds of everything they are about to become as a reader and a writer.
Leafscript™ is where nature and story meet.
In our sessions together, your child will draw a picture about something that lights them up: a creature they spotted on the trail, a story they can't stop thinking about, a world of their own.
From that single drawing, we'll coax out a sentence in their own words. From that sentence, we'll build their spelling, phonics and their reading - one page - or leaf - at a time.
Those pages don't disappear into a folder. They become a book - authored and illustrated by your child, that they will hold in their hands and read aloud with pride to you, to grandparents, and even to their pets. (yes, even goldfish and chickens!)
This is Leafscript™: A Relaxed Reading Revolution™ Program - based on the OT tenet of therapeutic use of self, unhurried, heart-centered, and built entirely around your child ...
exactly where they are, exactly as they are.
What "leaf" means here:
In Leafscript™, every leaf is something:
A leaf from the woods - where your child's session might begin, under the trees, on the wooded paths, in the dappled quiet of summer.
A leaf of a book - every page your child fills is a leaf. Every leaf becomes part of the book they are writing.
To leaf through - the moment your child turns the pages of their own book and reads their own words back to you. There is nothing quite like it!
To leaf out - what trees do in spring when they open toward the light. What your child will do when they discover, perhaps for the first time, that they are an author.
About your guide
Hi, I'm Stephanie Murphy - Orton-Gillingham certified special education teacher, and occupational therapy practitioner, creator of The Relaxed Reading Revolution™, with over thirty years of experience helping children fall in love with literacy.
I created Leafscript™ because I have sat with hundreds of children who believed, with complete certainty, that reading and writing were not for them.
They were wrong.
Every single one of them had a story to tell.
They just needed someone to help them find it.
And that is what I do, and what I'll teach you to do:
one drawing, one sentence, one leaf at a time.
How it works
Three simple steps.
Big reading skills.
You learn the steps too
This isn't just a session with your child - it's an invitation for you to step into the process alongside them. As we work together, I'll walk you through each step so you understand not just what we're doing, but why it works.
By the end, you'll have the confidence and the tools to continue Leafscript: Draw. Spell. Read.™ at home on your own and turn everyday drawings into powerful reading practice all year long.
The beauty of the Leafscript™ process is that it grows with your child. We gradually release more of the responsibility of writing and reading over to your child as their literacy skills advance.
And when they are ready -
We take their training wheels off, stand back,
and watch them GO.
No fears, no tears, no reading anxiety.
Just fun.
What children build:
Real skills, rooted in imagination.
Leafscript™ is gentle and joyful.
From your child's drawing and one simple sentence, we build:
Phonemic Awareness:
Hearing and playing with sounds within words. The foundation of literacy.
Print Concepts:
How books, pages, and words work. Every spoken word is connected to a written word.
Author Identity:
Seeing themselves as an author and reader.
(And illustrator too!)
Spelling:
Connecting sounds to letters naturally, from a teacher scribing for the youngest learners, all the way to a child spelling every word independently. Your child is met exactly where they are.
Reading Fluency:
Reading from a text they know and love - and one they will want to read over and over again. Rereading a text promotes fluency.
Oral Language:
Building vocabulary, sentence structure, and storytelling through their own voice.
Who this is for:
The perfect JUMPSTART
for early learners
Parents at home
You want a joyful, screen-free summer literacy practice, and the confidence to keep it going on your own.
Pre-K & Kindergarten
Best for children ages 4–6 who are beginning to explore letters, sounds, and stories.
Homeschool Families
You're looking for a child-led, literacy-rich activity that fits naturally into your homeschool rhythm.
Reluctant Readers and Writers
Also wonderful for first and second graders who benefit from fun, low-pressure reading support - and for older children who struggle with reading and spelling, who have decided they are "not readers" and need someone to show them otherwise.
We may begin our session with a read-aloud from a book your child brings or chooses — or perhaps we take a gentle stroll along one of our wooded paths. Weather permitting, we might conduct our session outside, under a tree, or deeper into the woods. If the weather turns, we'll hunker down in the cozy "Cottage Classroom" attached to our 1800s farmhouse.
The heart of every session begins with a simple question:
What is your child inspired by?
Are they deep in a book they love and want to extend through drawing and writing?
Excited about a movie they've just seen?
Or my personal favorite - did something catch their eye on a nature walk that they really want to write about?
How it works:
Here's how it unfolds:
1. They draw.
Your child draws a picture about whatever has captured their imagination that day. Their imagination is the starting point - always.
2. They spell. The sentence becomes the spell.
We ask: "Tell me about your drawing." This phrasing matters. We want to use your child's own words as much as possible - and with our very little ones, we may not always be able to tell what they've drawn! We never want to assume, and we always want them to feel ownership and pride in what they are creating. Together, we shape their words into the simplest, truest sentence we can find.
Your child might say, "The enormous squishy frog chomped on the poor fly!" - and we lovingly pare that down to its bare minimum and reflect it back: "Oh, so - 'The big frog ate the fly'?" If they agree, that sentence goes right under their drawing. From this one meaningful sentence, we teach phonemic awareness, spelling, and reading. This is the spell. This is theirs.
3. The pages become a book.
Each new page joins the others. Together they become a real book - authored, illustrated, and deeply loved by your child. There is no fear of reading. No fear of writing. Just a child, their imagination, and a teacher with over thirty years of experience opening the Magic Doorway into reading - one leaf at a time.
They return to school in September confident, proud, and excited by what words can do.
They discover something every child deserves to know:
They are an author.
They are a spellmaker.
The Details:
Sessions are $55 for 30 minutes
Children will leave with their page or book to reread and practice the literacy activities, but must bring them back for each session.
Each lesson builds upon this book.
You will schedule your child's session via our online calendar and pay at the time of scheduling.
What Parents Say:
Shanaaz B.
Stephanie has really helped my son develop the skills to read with confidence. He enjoys grabbing a book and reading independently. He understands and is able to relay the story he has read. I'm sure without Stephanie he would still be struggling. I cannot thank her enough for keeping my son's passion for reading alive, with her witty remarks and great tricks to help his fluency.
Julie M.
Scott and Stephanie have been a dream team for my daughter. She has improved in reading, writing, and spelling tremendously. She has also caught up to her peers with physical activities. Stephanie is the first person that my daughter not only trusted quickly, but wanted to keep going back. Through every step of the way, Stephanie and Scott have communicated clearly and tailored plans to our needs. I cannot recommend them enough!
Casey D.
Ms. Stephanie has the patience of a saint! She has identified gaps in my kiddo’s understanding of various ELA elements … and while working with him on those has always been incredibly in tune to what he needed to be able to focus and stay engaged. Best part, my kiddo even looks forward to reading now! His meltdowns about reading and writing assignments are non-existent. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am for my child to have such amazing support. Thank you!
Joe V.
He LOVES his time with you!!!!
He has told me many times that he feels like he is improving and is so comfortable with you.
THANK YOU!!!!!!
Join the Waitlist
Spots for Leafscript™ Summer 2026 are limited. Add your name below, and you'll be the first to hear when enrollment opens.
FAQs
1. What exactly is Leafscript, and how is it different from traditional reading programs?
Leafscript is a gentle, joyful, and child-led approach to early literacy. Unlike traditional programs that rely heavily on repetitive worksheets and flashcards, Leafscript weaves together your child’s interests, their artwork, structured literacy (phonemic awareness and phonics), and writing. By connecting a child’s natural wonder for the world around them with the physical acts of drawing and writing, we turn learning to read into an organic, multisensory adventure rather than a chore. It’s fun, repeatable, and grows with your child.
2. What age group is Leafscript designed for?
Leafscript is specially crafted for our youngest learners, whom we lovingly call our Seedlings (typically ages 4 to 8, or those in preschool through early elementary school). It is perfect for children who are just beginning their literacy journey, as well as young learners who are showing signs of frustration or resistance with standard reading methods (Reluctant Readers and Writers).
3. How does the "Draw. Spell. Read." process actually work?
We flip the traditional "read first" model on its head. Children naturally communicate through drawing before they learn to write, so we meet them right there:
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Draw: We begin with having your child create a drawing or piece of artwork that sparks their imagination that day. They could even come with a drawing that they made at home. It does, however, need to fit the size of our book (11 x 81/2” usually) because we are going to add each day’s work to create a book that your child has authored and illustrated. This book is the main event….it will become the magical portal to their reading.
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Spell: The level of support here varies from child to child. We use the skills they already have to build and grow. They provide the sounds or spellings they know, and we assist and model the rest.
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Read: Because they have physically built the words from their own ideas and illustrations, reading their own creations is exciting for them. We then take their sentences and dig in for the deep sound and word work. So, in a nutshell, we go from MACRO (their picture), to MICRO (using sounds to spell), to MACRO (reading their sentence over and over again), and lastly back to MICRO (where we take certain words in their sentence and use them to teach phonics systematically and explicitly). This might sound confusing - but it’s not! It is a smooth and fluent process. One that is easily repeatable and grows with your child.
4. Is Leafscript a research-backed program?
While the delivery is creative, playful, and child-led, the framework is deeply rooted in the Science of Reading (so YES!). It is built upon structured literacy principles and Orton-Gillingham methodologies, ensuring that phonological awareness and spelling rules are taught explicitly and sequentially. Furthermore, it incorporates developmental occupational therapy insights to support the physical mechanics of writing.
5. My child is a very reluctant reader and struggles to sit still. Will this work for them?
Leafscript is practically made for children who need a more dynamic approach! Because it is multisensory and child-led, it honors a child's need for movement and sensory engagement. By taking the pressure off and centering the lesson around art and sometimes nature, resistance naturally melts away into curiosity.
6. We live in a suburb/city and don't have easy access to a deep forest. Can we still do Leafscript?
Absolutely. Your child doesn’t need nature, they need a mindset of wonder. The "nature" in Leafscript can be found anywhere; the sights and sounds of a busy city are rich fodder for a young author. Let each city walk be a sensory feast. Listen, look, touch. Help your child become aware of their surroundings, to soak it all in, and then draw what moves them on that day. The program is entirely adaptable to wherever you are, whatever you are doing that day , or whatever piece of the natural world is accessible to you.
7. How does Occupational Therapy (OT) tie into a reading program?
Learning to read and write is a whole-body experience. Leafscript recognizes that visual-motor integration, pencil grip, hand strength, and spatial awareness are foundational to a child's literacy success. By integrating drawing and sensory exploration, we naturally strengthen fine motor skills and coordination without the child even realizing they are doing "therapy" work. It bridges the gap between physical development and cognitive reading skills.
8. What does a typical Leafscript session look like?
Every session is designed to feel calm, connected, and grounded. You and your child are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early to possibly get in a short nature walk in our Enchanted Literacy Forest (we believe it’s enchanted, hopefully you will too!) and perhaps examine a natural treasure a child found outside. This transitions into your child drawing a picture of whatever they are motivated by at the time. We then create the sentence that describes their artwork. Or depending on your child’s age and ability, maybe we just label their drawing with one word. We then end with a joyful celebration of the child reading their own text back to you.
There are many other moving parts involved in the Leafscript process, but they are just too many to attempt to list here. Remember, Leafscript was described as a fluid jazz session up above? It is, this is where all of my background experience flows together to create an immersive literacy experience for your child, without your child even knowing that they are learning to read and spell. It’s magical.
9. I want to use this method at home. How can I learn the Leafscript way?
We are incredibly passionate about empowering parents to be the keepers of their children's literacy joy. We are currently developing a specialized mini-class and an online beta container designed specifically for parents. This space will give you the exact tools, scripts, and creative prompts you need to confidently guide your Seedling through the Leafscript method at your own kitchen table or in your backyard. But until then, you are encouraged to stay and watch what I do, then as much as you can, replicate the steps of the Leafscrip session at home.
10. I live far from you, can my child do Leafscript online?
Absolutely. The 30-minute session will look a bit different than an in-person session, but all of the same components will be there. It will be difficult for me to monitor posture and pencil grip, but we will do our best.
11. My child is older (9+) but is still struggling significantly with reading. Is Leafscript right for them?
While the Leafscript method is tailored for our younger Seedlings, I have a sister program specifically designed for older children (whom we call our Oaks). For reluctant or struggling readers and writers. This program teaches you how to help your child read tonight. It takes the pain out of your child’s nightly reading (or summer reading). This is a mini-course also currently under construction. Until this course is finished, you are welcome to sign your child up for my Online Reading Tutoring, where I will teach your child the Decoding on the Go! Method. This is all part of my Relaxed Reading Revolution philosophy and approach.