Underneath the Academics:
Families
A 24-week NeuroDevelopmental Movementยฎ program for families of struggling readers
Your child is smart. You've done the research. You've hired the tutors. And something still isn't clicking. This program addresses what the tutors couldn't reach โ the brain and body foundation that has to be in place before reading can stick.
You've already tried the obvious things.
You talked to the teacher. You sat through the testing. You hired the tutor โ maybe two. You've read everything Emily Hanford has ever written. And you've watched your child work harder than any kid should have to work, for results that still aren't coming.
- Talked to the teacher and the school counselor
- Sat through evaluations and received a diagnosis
- Hired a reading tutor โ maybe OG-trained
- Read together every single night
- Tried accommodations, apps, and extra practice
- Spent thousands of dollars and still feel like you're guessing
You are not doing it wrong. And your child is not the problem. Most academic supports are aimed at the symptoms. They add more instruction on top of a foundation that isn't fully built yet โ and that's exactly why they plateau.
What if the real issue lives underneath the academics, in the brain and body foundations that reading intervention alone can never reach?
What is NeuroDevelopmental Movementยฎ?
NeuroDevelopmental Movementยฎ (NDM) is a movement-based approach that strengthens the brain's underlying pathways for learning and behavior. Through specific developmental movements โ the crawling, creeping, and integration sequences the brain builds itself on in the first year of life โ we help organize the parts of the brain that support attention, coordination, visual tracking, emotional regulation, and the ability to learn.
Most reading interventions work at the cortical level โ the smart, thinking brain. NDM works underneath it, at the pre-cortical foundation where those automated skills either were built or weren't. When a child's eyes can't track print smoothly, when their body can't sit still enough to focus, when they're burning cognitive energy on things that should be automatic โ more phonics practice won't fix that. Building the foundation will.
A moment that changes everything.
During the initial evaluation, Jessie holds a popsicle stick with a small sticker on it and moves it slowly from side to side in front of the child's eyes. Most parents watch, unsure of what they're looking for. Then they see it: instead of the eyes tracking smoothly, the whole head swings to follow. Or the eyes jump. Or one eye lags behind the other.
Then Jessie adds a simple cognitive challenge โ "name some animals that live in the ocean" โ and the eye tracking that was already struggling falls apart completely. The child is using their thinking brain to do a job that should be automatic. Every bit of energy spent holding their eyes on the page is energy stolen from reading. Parents see this with their own eyes. That is the moment the penny drops.
"You could see it. I could see it with my own eyes. Things weren't connecting in the correct way." โ Forston Learning parent
Imagine what changes when the foundation is solid.
These are the shifts families describe as the 24 weeks unfold โ not overnight, and not guaranteed, but meaningful and real.
More stamina for reading, writing, and math โ without the meltdown that used to follow.
Better focus and the ability to sit, listen, and follow directions without constant redirection.
Fewer homework battles and emotional collapses, because the work is starting to feel more possible.
A child who stops saying "I'm stupid" and starts saying "I can do this" โ and means it.
Many families begin to notice meaningful shifts within the first few weeks. Deeper gains unfold over the full 24 weeks as the neurological patterns are repeated and strengthened. Every child's profile is different โ this is an observation, not a promise.
This isn't a new strategy. It's a different foundation.
Orton-Gillingham tutoring is excellent. Science of Reading instruction matters. But for some children, academic instruction alone will plateau โ because there's a neurological layer underneath that nobody has addressed yet.
A fourth-grade boy came to Jessie reading at a late first-grade level โ more than two years behind. Progress through Orton-Gillingham tutoring alone had slowed and stalled.
That summer, Jessie completed a full NeuroDevelopmental Movement evaluation and added an NDM program alongside the reading work. He began to develop in ways the reading work alone had never produced. By seventh grade, he was reading at grade level and no longer carried a reading IEP.
Five-plus grade levels of growth over three years.The OG didn't stop. The NDM worked underneath it. That's the model.
What parents say when the foundation starts to shift.
"Big day today! Starting her fifth grade language arts book. When she was diagnosed with dyslexia two years ago she was at a pre-K reading level. To be starting her fifth-grade book in fifth grade is pretty amazing. To be at grade level after a severe diagnosis shows the power of NDM."
โ Mary V., homeschool mom
"Not only did their school lives improve โ seeing them on the soccer field and holding themselves with so much greater confidence is amazing."
โ Melissa, mom of two daughters in the program
Everything included in Underneath the Academics.
This is a high-touch, individualized program. Nothing is assigned until Jessie knows exactly where your child's pre-cortical gaps are. Everything that follows is built from what she finds.
Individual NDM Evaluation
A comprehensive starting point to identify your child's unique developmental profile. You're in the room for this. You'll see exactly what Jessie sees โ and you'll understand it before you leave.
Two Follow-Up Re-Evaluations
Progress is tracked and the movement plan is adjusted as your child develops through the 24 weeks.
Customized Step-by-Step Movement Plan
Developmental movements โ crawling, creeping, integration sequences โ chosen specifically for your child's gaps. Not a generic program. Built for this child.
Weekly Video Guidance for Parents
Short, clear videos walk you through each week's activities so you feel confident at home, without guesswork or overwhelm.
Weekly Parent Coaching Calls
Live Zoom gatherings every Tuesday at 12:00pm or 7:30pm CT โ you choose what works each week. Ask questions, share progress, and stay supported.
Parent Training in NDM Foundations
You're not a passenger in this process. You'll understand what each movement is building, why it matters, and how to see your child shifting week by week.
Printable Tracking Sheets and Progress Tools
Guides, checklists, and visual tools to help you stay consistent and actually see the growth that's happening.
Parent-Child "What Went Well" Journal
A simple daily Positive Psychology practice to build your child's confidence and reinforce progress in small but lasting ways.
You'll also have a supportive parent community alongside you โ other families walking the same path, with the same level of commitment.
Is Underneath the Academics right for your family?
This is probably a strong fit ifโฆ
- Your child is not learning at grade level, even with extra support
- You've tried tutoring โ maybe OG-trained โ and progress has stalled
- You want to address root causes, not add more academic work
- You can set aside about 45 minutes a day to support the home practice
- You're ready to be an active part of your child's progress, not a passenger
- You're looking for long-term change, not a short-term fix
This is probably not the right fit ifโฆ
- You're hoping for significant results in just a few days
- Consistent daily practice at home isn't realistic right now
- Your primary goal is short-term test prep
That's okay. There are many types of support available. This program is built for families ready to go to the root.
If you're not sure โ that's exactly what the Right Fit call is for.
Book a Right Fit Call
Hi, I'm Jessie Forston, M.Ed.
I'm a licensed educator, Reading Specialist, certified NeuroDevelopmental Movement consultant, Brain Coach, and Positive Educator. I'm also a mom โ and the reason I do this work starts there.
I spent years in the classroom watching struggling kids receive more accommodations, more pullout services, more layers of support โ without anyone looking underneath to ask why. I felt the gap long before I had language for it.
When my son Everett arrived six weeks early in 2008, I started doing movement work with him by instinct, before I had any framework for it. Then I walked into a lecture on neurological reorganization and everything clicked. Root cause. Not compensation. That was the a-ha that became Forston Learning.
I've sat with parents in the moment the lights come on โ when they finally see what's been happening in their child's brain and body, and they understand that there's a way through. Those moments are why I built this program.
Hard for a little while. A lifetime of ease.
How the program unfolds.
Once you enroll, every step is guided. You will not be left wondering what to do next.
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Enroll and secure your spot
Complete enrollment in Kajabi. You'll receive immediate access to the welcome materials and next steps.
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Complete your child's intake and schedule the evaluation
You'll share background information about your child's history and schedule the individual NeuroDevelopmental Movement evaluation with Jessie.
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Attend the evaluation โ and see what Jessie sees
You're in the room for this. Parents leave the evaluation and debrief that same day knowing exactly what their child's brain and body need โ because they saw it themselves.
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Receive your child's individualized movement plan
Nothing is assigned until Jessie knows exactly where your child's pre-cortical gaps are. What follows is built from what she finds.
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Begin the weekly rhythm of practice and support
Get Started Session: Thursday, September 17. Movement activities begin: Saturday, September 20. Weekly parent Zoom calls every Tuesday at 12:00pm or 7:30pm CT โ you choose what works each week.
September 2026 Cohort Pricing
Enrollment opens August 10. Early enrollment pricing is available for 10 days only.
Early Enrollment
Pay in full during the early window and save $455 off the full program investment.
Full Enrollment
Full program investment. Enrollment closes September 7 โ Labor Day โ with no exceptions.
Payment Plan
Six monthly payments. A small installment fee applies. Available through September 7.
Current Reading Students
If you're already working with Jessie in reading intervention, reach out directly for your adjusted enrollment rate.
Your child doesn't need to work harder. They need a foundation that actually holds.
The families who stay with this work discover something the system never showed them: hard for a little while, a lifetime of ease. The ones who walk away go back to more of the same โ more accommodation, more compensation, more layers on top of a problem nobody looked underneath.
You don't have to keep guessing. There is a different way forward.
Is This the Right Fit for My Child?Not sure yet? The Right Fit call is free and puts you in no obligation.
