Nottinghamshire 'Reading Doctor' becomes Tik Tok hit while documenting her journey

Within the last year teachers have been striking over pay due to the high demand of the job and lack of resources.  

One teacher from Nottinghamshire left her primary school teaching job of 30 years to embark on a new business venture, becoming the first Reading Doctor of Nottingham North.  

Liz Woolley, from Carlton, took the plunge to embark on her Reading Doctor Franchise to tutor children one-to-one who struggle with reading and confidence in their ability. 

She said: “As a teacher it is a luxury to have one hour with a child when normally you have 30 in a classroom. 

“I felt as a year 1 and 2 teacher with a full classroom you can’t help particular children with their reading especially without a teaching assistant. 

“I was the Early Years Reading Lead at my old school, but I have always wanted to specialise solely in reading. 

“Already this week I’ve had three children move up a reading level achieving a medal and certificate, but their confidence has also gone up!” 

Her journey has been documented on TikTok from her last day at school gaining 17,600 views, setting up her reading room to booking her first student.  

Another video of Liz’s was her family reacting to the magnificent artwork she had painted on the side passage towards her new reading room which viral on Tik Tok gaining 42,500 views.  

The artwork reads ‘you're reading journey starts here’ accompanied by hand painted children's book characters which took artist Paula Chettle 108 hours to complete. 

Liz said: “The idea behind this design was to create something magical and it helps build a relationship with the child who may be anxious about reading and coming to the sessions. 

“It follows the reading journey her students will go on from reading early years book characters like the Gruffalo to advanced books such as Harry potter.” 

According to a recent National Library Trust survey, 2023 is the lowest level of reading enjoyment reported by children since 2005.  

Which is why the Reading Doctor Franchise was set up to be the missing piece needed in children’s education, helping them learn to read confidently while providing the resources they wouldn’t get in the classroom. The Reading Doctor Franchise has bespoke multi-sensory resources created by Reading Doctor Deborah Salsbury, from Nottingham. 

More on the Nottingham North Reading Doctor here: Nottingham North - The Reading Doctor (thereadingdoctors.co.uk)