Rising Readers Academy is an online reading tutoring service for children in grades 1-3 who struggle with reading. It was founded by Shaleena McGregor-Leckie, a certified elementary teacher based in Ontario, Canada. With a deep commitment to student well-being and success, Shaleena brings genuine care and dedication to helping her students thrive in their education.

Her inspiration for starting Rising Readers Academy came from her experiences in the classroom, where she saw firsthand how some students were significantly below grade level in reading—often due to circumstances beyond their control. She saw how this not only impacted their confidence, but also had a ripple effect in other subject areas. Through applying research-based strategies consistently, she witnessed steady growth in her students’ learning. Wanting to extend this impact beyond the classroom, Shaleena launched Rising Readers Academy to support more children on their literacy journey.

As someone who struggled with reading in her early school years and didn’t discover a love for reading until much later in life, Shaleena is passionate about changing that narrative for other children. With intentional, consistent, and evidence-based instruction, all readers—no matter their starting point—can rise.