Denise Eide

Denise Eide has her hand on the heartbeat of the literacy crisis and is pointing to a way out. Having grown up in a disadvantaged family and struggled with math, Denise understands the hopelessness experienced by students who struggle with illiteracy. She has a gift for connecting people to answers, providing hope, and empowering and motivating others to action. After completing her B.A., Denise began study for her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota. While pursuing her degree, Denise worked with non-profit organizations to develop ESL curriculum. She also taught English at a University in Russia. During this time she discovered that Eastern Europeans think systematically about language. Her students asked many questions about spelling to which her best answer at the time was, "That is an exception. English has evolved; therefore, it is not logical." When her sons struggled to learn to read, Denise began to research how to help them. She sought training in an Orton-Gillingham approach to reading, where she discovered answers to her sons' reading difficulties, to her own questions about spelling, and to the questions posed by countless students. In order to share her excitement, Denise put together a forty-five minute presentation called "The Logic of English." While giving this presentation, she began to touch the heart of the literacy crisis: two-thirds of U.S. students read below grade level. Wherever Denise shares, people rush forward to tell her their personal stories. Scientists, mathematicians, and engineers concur that this information would have transformed reading and spelling education for them. Teachers exclaim that everyone is talking about the problem, but that Denise is the first person bringing hope and answers. Parents and community leaders become passionate about changing their communities. Denise strongly believes that one should not need to be diagnosed with a disability to be taught how English works. In order to empower others, she founded Pedia Learning, the company that publishes the Logic of English series of books and curriculum. Her first paperback, "Uncovering the Logic of English", has won four publishing awards and has been recognized by Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Reid Lyon, and Dr. Robert Sweet, Jr.