A SECOND grade tutoring student traces sandpaper letters with her finger. Another child uses colored magnetic tiles for spelling, paying attention to having a red vowel magnet in each syllable. These fun, tactile exercises solidify the shapes of the letters in a child’s brain through multisensory experiences. These are just a few of the hands-on techniques used during tutoring sessions at The Firm Foundation Learning Center.
Jessica Bell, owner and operator of The Firm Foundation, has a passion for tutoring students who struggle to read and write at grade level due to dyslexia and other learning challenges. Today’s statistics show that 1 in 5 students has dyslexia, and the Firm Foundation’s mission is to help that 20% succeed.
Bell, a California native who moved to Nashville in 2017, is a certified K-8 teacher with a master’s degree in Digital Teaching and Learning. She taught at College Grove Elementary in Williamson County and then at East Lincoln Elementary, which she loved.
Bell and her husband, Brandon, welcomed a son in April 2020, and she transitioned to staying home full time. Bell said she “couldn’t turn off her teacher-brain,” but then her friend and mentor, Lori Arnett, introduced her to structured literacy tutoring. Excited by the program, Bell agreed to take on four students from home.
“Structured literacy is huge. It is based on actual brain science — on how your brain learns, specifically how to read,” Bell said. “There used to be this idea that kids could learn to read just by looking at the picture and looking at the letters to make sense of what it was, but kids need to know the [phonetic] rules. We first solidify a student’s phonemic awareness to be able to decode, but also work on the language comprehension aspect, building up a student’s vocabulary and background knowledge.”
By 2023, her roster had grown to eight students, and the program was so successful that she had 16 others on the waitlist. Bell was inspired by the growth in her students. One child returned from spring break thrilled that she had finally been able to read a restaurant menu and order for herself. One of her adult students, Betty Bertrand, is an 80-year-old woman who struggled with dyslexia her whole life. After going through the program, she gained confidence in reading and writing that had never been offered to her before. These changed lives made Bell realize she needed to expand to be able to support more people, but she was not sure how to start.
“I challenged God, which you should never do,” Bell said, laughing. “I said, ‘I need people. I need a location. If you want this to happen, God, you’ve got to make this happen.’ He did, and quickly. Within a couple of months, here was a person already trained with the same passion. Here’s the location.”
Melissa Stout, one of the main tutors, has over 35 years of experience in special education. She was perfect for the job. Bell then found the office space at 790 Kings Lane, Suite #200. It was all coming together.
“All of our tutors have their teaching credentials,” Bell said. “I hire people who are willing to keep looking for answers and not just take things at face value. They need to be compassionate, and they need to understand dyslexia and learning disabilities in general.”
Bell said her tutors also have to be good communicators, because they are not only teaching the child but communicating with the child’s school teacher and family. Bell’s commitment to excellence ensures that students at the center get the best support possible.
She chose the name Firm Foundation because of her philosophy that going back to master the basics is essential to giving students the framework for succeeding at higher levels.
Bell said she is passionate that every child believes in their ability to learn, but this is always the first hurdle to overcome with new students.
“The first several weeks, we’re simply building a fact — convincing the child and proving to them that they can learn,” Bell said, “because when they come to us, they are pretty defeated. School is hard, they feel like they can’t learn, or they can’t read.”
Bell and the other tutors work quickly to help their students unlearn this false narrative and understand the power of the word “yet.” Each tutor focuses on the child as a whole being, recognizing that academic knowledge is one part of a larger equation and that a child’s confidence makes a big difference.
“Typically, within that first month, students want to come to tutoring because it’s a place where they finally feel confident. It’s a safe place to try and fail. We teach them about how their brains work. We introduce this idea of a growth mindset: that even if this is hard, you are capable, and just because you don’t get it yet, doesn’t mean you won’t get it in the future,” Bell said.
While literacy intervention is a core service offered, The Firm Foundation also offers individually-tailored math and writing remediation. Bell also provides crucial support for parents navigating Individualized Educational Programs and 504 plans.
The center serves both traditional and homeschool families in the area. For traditional students, tutors coordinate with classroom teachers to support grade-level work. For homeschoolers, Bell offers curriculum consultations to help parents understand when to trust their instincts rather than curriculum expectations. She has a unique perspective, having worked in the school system while also homeschooling her son and daughter.
“I just want schools and families to know that we’re here supporting them as a team, and that every family, regardless of educational choice, receives the support their child needs to succeed,” said Bell. GN
To find out more about The Firm Foundation Learning Center, visit: https://thefirmfoundationtn.tutorbird.com/
