Several years ago, I suffered a traumatic brain injury in the classroom leaving me with the inability to turn thoughts into words. Using music, and a variety of other therapuetic interventions, I was able to regain a majority of the skills I had previously lost. It was through this recovery process, I discovered the connection between music, language and literacy and went on to create a solution to a problem that seemed to be getting bigger by the day.

The Problem? With so many children and families using devices and screen time use for children under 6 up 600% in the last 5 years, speech and language rates for young children were (and are) on a steep and steady decline. With limited medical and professional support for families, and many daycare and childcare providers without the needed tools for instruction, I knew we needed a solution for the teachers, clinicians and families to come together and support children at this critical stage in life.  In 2021, after studying the link between music, language and literacy, I joined forces with HeadStart of Oregon to create a blended learning system that combined the best of in-person teaching and learning with an online gaming platform for the home.

Our combined goal is to create the best in-class learning system that focuses on speech and language development through music, motion and interactive technology. Together, we felt inspired to reimagine a different approach to teaching and learning that utlizes the screen, but with pedagogy and technology that assist with overall brain development. My desire to heal myself and return to the classroom led me on a journey to create Finnegan the Dragon, a brand dedicated to creating blended learning systems that meet children and families where they are at, give them needed support for better reading readiness, and empower 21st century teachers and care providers.