We were lucky to catch up with Adrianna Mabrie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Adrianna, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
A few days ago, my former fifth-grade student, now a high school senior planning for college, emailed me. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from her and happy to know that she is doing well and has fond memories of her year in our classroom. She shared how empowered she felt and how positively her life was impacted that year, which made me pause and reflect on the idea of purpose. Her words reminded me that while my path to finding purpose has sometimes been unclear, with many stops along the way—and occasionally filled with doubt—it has proven necessary, providing both inspiration and insight that have guided me on my journey.
From a young age, I knew that I wanted to work with children in some capacity. My earliest interests centered on education and mentoring young people. While I did not initially anticipate teaching, I knew that whatever I chose, I wanted to empower kids to believe in themselves, their abilities, and their capacity to learn and grow into confident and capable individuals. I hoped to do work that would have a positive impact and develop foundational skills that would support them in discovering their own passions and purpose.
It was in my role as a classroom teacher that my purpose became clearer. I found myself becoming increasingly focused on and interested in teaching reading. It was amazing to see my first graders come in at the beginning of the year as non-readers and develop over time into early readers. Years later, when I moved to teaching fifth-grade, I saw a whole other side to what it meant to teach reading. I had many students entering class with significant gaps in their foundational early literacy learning. I saw not only their struggles with academics but also how they were affected in terms of self-esteem and behavior.
This discovery quickly led me into the next phase of discovering my purpose, as I began to devote myself to learning as much as I could about reading instruction and intervention. It was during this time, when I was taking science-based reading training, reading books, attending webinars, and conferences, that the idea of becoming a licensed reading specialist and founding a literacy-based program persisted.
Ultimately, finding my purpose has been a culmination of the impact literacy has had on my life, the passion I have developed for reading instruction and intervention, and my desire to equip my students with a critical skill that will empower them, afford them opportunities and positively impact their lives.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder of By the Letter Literacy Reading Lab, a private practice specializing in early literacy instruction and intervention. I primarily work with students in grades K-3 in one-to-one and small-group settings, using a structured literacy approach. My primary goal is to build strong readers by ensuring that they receive evidence-based instruction and intervention that addresses their early foundational needs as they grow and develop as readers.
In addition to years of experience as a credentialed lead classroom teacher with extensive and continued training, I hold a master’s degree in reading, language, and literacy, as well as a reading and literacy leadership credential. I have a passion and talent for coaching, encouraging, mentoring, and inspiring students by creating an engaging environment where every student feels motivated, validated, and supported. I am skilled and experienced in using assessment data to inform instruction and address student needs, providing immediate and valuable feedback.
As an early literacy advocate, my goal is to empower parents and caregivers to create language-rich home environments that foster key pre-reading skills—strong predictors of future reading achievement. As a resource creator, I developed a hub for parents and educators to highlight the importance of early literacy, starting in infancy. Through this project, I provide families with resources, materials, advocacy, and evidence-based information to help them integrate engaging and practical language and literacy activities into their daily routines.
This project features an early literacy website that provides tips, activities, digital materials, and links to evidence-based online resources. The website offers a free resource library, featuring a downloadable parent/family handbook, as well as activities designed to build early literacy skills at home. Two digital literacy kits, each with over one hundred printable pages for parents to use with their children, are also included.
Through my LitEarly 0 to 5 Press publishing company, my daughters and I write and produce original early learning and growth mindset songs, poems, animated videos, and digital resources. I am currently releasing a series of children’s books (a long-held dream), illustrated by my daughter, Maia, with the first installment scheduled for release in October. We are also developing a unique and engaging interactive family-centered language and literacy curriculum designed for families and early educators who work with or care for children aged 0 to 5.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Throughout my years in education, my natural ability to build trust and connection with my students has helped me create a learning environment where they feel safe to take academic risks, learn from mistakes, seek help, and apply feedback.
My willingness to engage in ongoing learning, combined with my commitment to continuous improvement has strengthened my approach to teaching. Reflection is crucial in my practice, and I actively seek actionable feedback from peers and mentors in my field to continually improve my work. Time with my students is valuable, and my goal is to make the most of it by consistently upgrading my skills and knowledge.
My ability to notice details, anticipate challenges, and adapt instruction in real time allows me to maximize both support and instructional time for my students.
My advice would be to make reflection a routine part of your practice, be open to learning, and seek honest, constructive, applicable feedback from peers or your professional community. There will always be more to learn. Be open to it.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful things my mother did for me were instilling the value of education, a love of learning, the importance of literacy, and a sense of social awareness and justice. Throughout my childhood, she exemplified these values by earning her college degree as a high-performing student while raising young children, volunteering as a reading tutor with middle school students, and modeling compassion for others through ethical decision-making and social advocacy. Even in retirement, she pursues her passions in birding and nature photography, demonstrating that “it’s never too late to do what you might have done.”
My father, who struggled with reading in his youth, became both a proficient and avid reader (with the support of my mother) as a young adult. One of the books he read and passed along to me during my teen years was The Autobiography of Malcolm X. When I read it, I was most impressed by Malcolm’s journey to teach himself how to read in prison, which changed the trajectory of his life. Reading this book changed my perspective on reading and literacy as something strictly done for pleasure, making me realize that it can also be a means of personal growth and a skill that expands access to opportunities.
Again, my passion to become a reading specialist is the culmination of the impact that literacy has had on my life, and the influence of the example and experiences that I have been fortunate enough to have been exposed to, in large part thanks to my parents. I am grateful to both of them for their contributions to shaping my literacy history, which in turn has impacted my path to purpose and my passion for and approach to teaching, which has further positively impacted my own children as well as my students.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bytheletterliteracy.com
- Other: https://msha.ke/litearly0to5/
Image Credits
Maia M.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
