Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Gotshall.
Susan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Reading and the Squid really grew out of both my professional experience and my personal life. I’ve spent years working in education and reading intervention, but my understanding of struggling readers became much more clear when I attended my first International Dyslexia Conference in 2016. I truly learned how frustrating reading can become for a bright, capable child when they aren’t being taught in a way that matches how their brain learns.
That experience pushed me to dig much deeper into dyslexia, Structured Literacy, and the science of reading. I became trained in Orton-Gillingham and earned my credential as an IDA Structured Literacy Educator. The more I learned, the more I realized how many children were struggling—not because they weren’t capable of learning to read, but because they needed more explicit, systematic, individualized instruction.
Reading and the Squid started with me working one-on-one with students and families at my kitchen table during COVID. I wanted to create a platform where struggling readers could receive highly individualized instruction while also rebuilding something that often gets lost along the way: confidence. For many of the kids who come to us, reading has become the thing they believe they are “bad at.” Changing that belief is just as important to me as teaching them how to decode a word.
Over time, what started with just me has grown into a team of tutors serving families both locally in Central Oregon and virtually. We work with students with dyslexia and other reading challenges using Structured Literacy and evidence-based intervention, while tailoring instruction to the individual child rather than expecting every child to fit into one program.
I still work in the schools as a reading specialist, so I get to see literacy from several perspectives—as an educator and a business owner. Each of those roles has shaped Reading and the Squid.
What I’m most proud of is that we’ve grown without losing the reason I started. At the heart of the business is still one child sitting across from one caring adult, discovering that reading doesn’t have to feel impossible. Watching a student go from “I can’t read” to realizing “I can do this” is what continues to drive me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think one of the biggest learning curves for me has been realizing that being good at what you do and running a business are two very different things. I went into this because I love working with kids and helping struggling readers—not because I knew how to run a business!
As Reading and the Squid has grown, I’ve had to learn a lot along the way: how to manage a team, set boundaries, create policies, handle scheduling and cancellations, price services sustainably, and make decisions that are good for both our families and the business.
One of my biggest challenges has been balancing the desire to help every family with the reality that a small business has to be sustainable. When you care deeply about the families you work with, it can be difficult to separate the heart behind the work from the business decisions that have to be made.
But I think those challenges have also helped shape what Reading and the Squid is today. I’m still learning as we grow, and I probably always will be. I’ve become much more comfortable recognizing that having clear expectations, boundaries, and systems actually allows us to serve families better and continue doing this work long-term.
We’ve been impressed with Reading and the Squid Tutoring, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Reading and the Squid Tutoring specializes in helping students with dyslexia and other reading challenges become stronger, more confident readers. We provide individualized, evidence-based reading intervention using Structured Literacy and Orton-Gillingham approaches, both in person in Central Oregon and virtually.
What sets us apart is that we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We look closely at each student’s strengths and areas of need and use that information to guide instruction. Our tutors are trained specifically to work with struggling readers, and our goal goes beyond improving reading skills—we want kids to understand that struggling with reading does not define how smart or capable they are.
Even our name reflects that philosophy. Reading and the Squid was inspired by Dr. Maryanne Wolf’s book Proust and the Squid. Wolf uses the squid’s giant axon—which helped scientists understand how neurons communicate—as a metaphor for understanding the reading brain. Reading isn’t something our brains are naturally wired to do; the brain has to build and connect new pathways in order to become a reader. That idea is at the heart of what we do: understanding how each child’s brain learns and providing the explicit instruction needed to help those reading pathways develop.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you can lead with your heart and still have boundaries. I started Reading and the Squid because I genuinely wanted to help kids and families, and in the beginning, that sometimes meant trying to accommodate everyone and everything. Over time, I’ve learned that having clear expectations, trusting my expertise, and making decisions that keep the business sustainable actually allow us to serve families better. You don’t have to choose between caring deeply about people and running a successful business—you can do both.
Pricing:
- Monthly tuition model: $650
- Flexible model: $92 per session
- Dyslexia screener and diagnostic: $540
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.readingandthesquid.us
- Instagram: @readingandthesquid
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingandthesquidtutoring/
