Mrs. Deva Deveaux

My name is Deva Winona Deveaux. My whole life I’ve wondered why some children can easily read and write, and others can’t. My big brother was labeled dyslexic, and placed in special education classrooms. I, on the other hand, got the hang of literacy early on. I became a bookworm with a love for learning. 

My interest in art, design, and visual communication drove me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design in 2000. I used these skills as a freelance designer while I raised my two sons. My interest in teaching developed along with my involvement in their education. I became fascinated with how children learn. As I helped my older son Ethan get past his struggles with reading, I found a sense of meaning and purpose that graphic design didn’t offer. 

I went back to Chico State and completed my Multiple Subject Teacher Credential program in 2005. A year later, while teaching first grade in Humboldt County, I met Kirsten Hartlein Allen, a teacher who was teaching literacy differently. What she told me turned everything I knew about literacy instruction on its head. 

Letters don’t make sounds, Kirsten told me. People make sounds. Sounds are real, and letters are made-up symbols. The sounds of our spoken language are the basis of the code - not the letters of the alphabet. I started to understand that parents and teachers everywhere were teaching literacy backwards. I began to understand why my brother and my sons struggled to learn to read and write. Bad teaching practices prevent millions of children from understanding English’s underlying logic.

Harmful teaching methods in K-2 include: letter names, sight words, word families, and ‘multi-cuing’ systems. All of these obscure the fact that the phoneme is the basis of the code.

When children have unsuccessful early experiences with reading, they internalize this failure. The shame and frustration that arises causes damage to a child’s ability to learn along with their self-esteem and confidence. That’s what I saw with my big brother while growing up. 

My mind spun, contemplating the difference it would make to children if they were taught effectively. I imagined children using reading to grow their intellectual and imaginative powers. I imagined children using their writing skills to develop their critical thinking ability. I imagined children’s confidence growing along with their literacy skills. I could see how this could affect their trajectory for success in life. Children who can master literacy can take their education in any direction and to any degree they wish. Highly literate people are able to accomplish their dreams. 

I thought of how our whole world can be improved if all children gain literacy with ease. It’s a world in which people can confidently explore and discuss ideas. They can contribute to society and human progress with their writing. Literate people develop critical thinking skills while they use writing to inform and persuade. Literate citizens cultivate a culture conducive for democracy to flourish.  

Once I read Diane McGuinness’s book Why Our Children Can’t Read, my interest became an obsession. I had discovered the prototype for effective literacy instruction. I felt deeply I that my purpose was to use it to create a curriculum. I knew I needed experience teaching kids in order to do it.

I didn’t have to look any further than my son Aidan, who was behind grade level in 3rd grade. I pulled him out of his school and homeschooled him the second half of the school year. In this time, I gave him daily lessons, filling in gaps in his code knowledge. His lessons retrained him to think in terms of the true logic of the code. He was given sufficient work to practice his new knowledge. He caught up before fourth grade, and was re-enrolled at our neighborhood school. He succeeded with his education after that. 

In 2017 I started Reading For Life. I poured myself into creating lessons that were fun, creative, and most of all, logical. I endeavored to facilitate learning that feels like discovery. I created a classroom environment that fosters joy and wonder. Day by day, I developed lessons for the children that became the Reading For Life curriculum. 

Every year that has gone by, I’ve enjoyed perfecting my methods, my program’s structure, and the curriculum itself. I particularly enjoy coming up with new, creative ways to engage children in practicing the knowledge and skills they need. 

In the past nine years, hundreds of students have come through RFL, each one a unique soul. Each child comes with a temperament, a learning style, an intelligence level, as well as differences in their ability to focus their attention and process sensory information. I’ve learned so much about teaching from each one of them, and I’m so grateful. 

I’ve taught many dyslexic children, and those with deficits that impact literacy: auditory and visual processing disorders in particular. I can tell you that almost all of them CAN and DO learn the code when it’s presented logically. There’s an art to teaching children that are learning impaired, and it involves knowing how to support a child on an emotional as well as a cognitive level. 

Remediating dyslexic students can be quite challenging, but it’s extremely rewarding. When students overcome their struggle with literacy and succeed in school, they develop discipline, persistence, and resilience. They form a positive self-concept when they see their own growth. The strength and confidence we see in remediated students is powerful. We know that these students can go on to overcome other challenges in their lives. These are the ones that will encourage and inspire others to do the same.

Literacy development is SO much more smooth when it’s taught right, right from the start. Most students in our program take to literacy like ducks to water. The logic of the code is built into every aspect of instruction. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced into child-friendly levels. It includes lessons that involve all the learning modalities. In addition to the nuts and bolts of decoding and encoding English, we weave in all the threads from a well-rounded language arts program. We teach speaking and listening standards, and reading and writing standards. Children quickly progress from learning to read, to reading to learn.

The joy of guiding teachers is equally rewarding. Each teacher brings special gifts to this important job. Ms. Arlena taught at my side for 3 years. She was excellent at creating lessons involving movement. She created many craft activities with them. With her guitar, she led the children in singing at circle time. Music is a wonderful enhancement to a literacy program. 

In 2022 Dave came into my life, and we got married in 2023. He taught martial arts to children for 24 years. After his knee replacement, Dave retired from martial arts and jumped into teaching literacy with me. While teaching by my side, he learned how to teach literacy the RFL way. ‘Mr. D’ excels at reading stories, managing student behavior, creating learning games, doing directed drawing, and teaching writing. With his expressive and engaging personality, he knows how to capture and sustain student attention.

Ms. Flower joined our team as a teaching assistant in 2023, and adds her magical and gentle flair to our Simple Code groups. Her own two children learned to read in our program, so she knows intimately how our system works. She’s good at nurturing and managing groups of young children. She’s a talented story reader, and brings wonderful craft projects for enhancing academics and developing fine motor control. She knows how to skillfully conduct learning games, and give hands-on assistance during our main lesson.  

In 2025 I organized my first teacher training workshop, attended by 18 local teachers. At the moment, I’m creating an 8 week teacher training program for fall 2026.

By late summer 2026 the entire 4 levels of the Beginning Reader Toolkit will be ready and available for purchase. We’re planning a Curriculum Launch Party in which teachers and parents can come use the curriculum as students do. I can hardly wait to put the toolkit into their hands!

In my spare time I enjoy photography, decorating, gardening, music, dancing, traveling, hiking, yoga, paddle boarding, and watching sunsets with my husband Dave.

Mr. David Deveaux

After growing up in the Salinas/Monterey area, I moved to Chico in ’92 to attend Chico State. Four years later I earned a BA in music, as well as a black belt. I worked as an instructor at Azad’s Martial Arts Center for 24 years, giving instruction to children aged 3 and up. In that time I learned how to effectively teach students with every kind of learning style. I enjoyed teaching life skills and virtues along with mixed martial arts techniques. I learned to promote values such as integrity, discipline, compassion, and respect through storytelling.  

Other important values I’ve taught to kids over the years include focus and determination. When students find the courage to try their very best, they build confidence in themselves, which leads to greater courage, increased challenges, and success. Reading and writing are a prerequisite for education, and for life. I love applying my skills and experience to teaching children these foundational skills. I enjoy involving children in active games, reading children’s literature, and teaching writing. 

My personal interests include cats, friends, music, studying psychology, kayaking, hiking, dancing, and weight lifting. My wife Deva and I enjoy these things together as much as possible when we’re not giving literacy instruction.