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What This Site Is and Whether It's for You
Learning in a Distracted World is an educational resource created by Kelly Sutherland, a National Board Certified Teacher with 25 years of Title I classroom experience. Kelly specializes in ADHD, dyslexia, and the combined presentation in children. She helps parents become confident Head Coaches for their children — navigating school systems, supporting learning at home, and building the family connection that research consistently identifies as one of the strongest predictors of long-term learning success.
Is This for You?
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, or both — or if you suspect something is going on and no one has given you a straight answer yet — you're in the right place.
This site exists for the parent who:
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Watches their child cry over homework every night and doesn't know what to do differently
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Sits in IEP meetings nodding along but isn't sure what questions to actually ask
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Has been told their child is "smart but not trying hard enough" — and knows in their gut that's not the whole story
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Wants to help at home but isn't sure what helping should actually look like
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Is exhausted, overwhelmed, and still showing up every single day
You don't need a teaching degree to support your child. You need someone who speaks both languages — classroom and kitchen table. That's what this is.
Who Is Kelly Sutherland?
Kelly Sutherland is a National Board Certified Teacher who has spent 25 years teaching in Title I schools — classrooms where the gaps are widest, the resources are thinnest, and the stakes are highest.
Her background includes:
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National Board Certification (NBCT) — the highest professional credential available to classroom teachers
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25 years of classroom experience serving children with ADHD, dyslexia, and combined presentations in high-need Title I schools
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Three years serving as a Reading Specialist in a school district, working directly with struggling readers and coaching teachers in reading instruction
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Master's degree and Specialist Degree in Brain-Based Teaching and Learning — Nova Southeastern University, BrainSmart Program, completed 2009–2011, including the Leadership component
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Two years of intensive training through the Take Flight program at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas — one of the most rigorous structured literacy training programs in the country
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LETRS training — one of the most comprehensive professional development programs in the Science of Reading
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Project Read training
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Extensive study and practice in multiple structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham based instructional approaches
Kelly also lives with ADHD herself. That is not a footnote — it is the foundation of everything she teaches. She understands what it means to navigate a brain that works differently from the inside out, not just from research and training.
She built Learning in a Distracted World because she could not find resources that spoke both the language of the classroom and the language of real family life. So she created them.
What You'll Find Here
WATCH — YouTube Channel (@metacognitiveeducator)
Long-form teaching videos designed for parents who want to understand what is actually happening in their child's brain — and what to do about it. Not tips. Not hacks. Real frameworks rooted in 25 years of classroom experience and current research.
READ — The Blog at learninginadistractedworld.com
Research-grounded articles that translate classroom science into language parents can actually use. Written for the parent in the school parking lot trying to understand what "phonemic awareness" means and why it matters for their child right now.
BELONG — Family Learning Adventures Membership
A membership community for parents who are ready to go deeper. Monthly content, live support, and a community of parents navigating the same roads.
The Head Coach Framework
The core of Kelly's approach is what she calls the Head Coach Framework.
Here is the idea: your child's educational journey is like a team sport. There are specialists on that team — teachers, tutors, reading interventionists, occupational therapists, therapists — but no one on that team sees the whole field the way you do. No one has your child's full history, their daily patterns, their fears, and their strengths all in one place.
You are the Head Coach. Not the one running every drill — but the one making sure the whole team is moving in the same direction.
The Head Coach Framework helps parents learn how to:
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Understand what each specialist is working on and why
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Ask better, more specific questions in IEP and 504 meetings
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Create a consistent home environment that supports what is happening at school
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Stop being the homework enforcer and start being the strategic coordinator your child actually needs
This approach is grounded in research showing that parental involvement — the informed, coordinated kind — is one of the strongest predictors of educational outcomes for children with learning differences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I help a child with ADHD and dyslexia at home?
Children with ADHD and dyslexia need support on two tracks simultaneously. For dyslexia, the most effective home support involves consistent oral reading practice — reading aloud together regularly, not drilling isolated skills. For ADHD, the home environment matters as much as any specific activity — reducing distractions, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and using external systems like timers and visual schedules to reduce the mental effort of getting started. The Head Coach Framework at Learning in a Distracted World helps parents coordinate both needs in one consistent approach without burning out.
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Q: Why does my child read the words but not understand what they read?
When a child can decode words accurately but struggles to understand what they just read, the most common cause is that decoding is using up most of their working memory — leaving very little mental capacity for comprehension. Think of it like a phone running too many apps at once. The solution involves two tracks: building decoding fluency over time so it becomes more automatic, while simultaneously building comprehension through oral language — conversation, discussion, and reading aloud together.
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Q: What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is a legally binding document providing both specialized instruction and accommodations for children who qualify for special education under IDEA. A 504 plan provides accommodations only — no specialized instruction. Children with dyslexia often need an IEP because they need structured literacy instruction, not just extra time. Children with ADHD may qualify for either, depending on how significantly ADHD affects their access to learning.
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Q: Is structured literacy the same as Orton-Gillingham?
Not exactly. Orton-Gillingham is one well-established approach within the broader structured literacy umbrella. Structured literacy describes any reading instruction that is systematic, explicit, sequential, and multisensory. Programs like Wilson Reading System, SPIRE, Take Flight, and Project Read are all built on Orton-Gillingham principles but are their own distinct programs.
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Q: How do I know if my child has ADHD, dyslexia, or both?
ADHD and dyslexia co-occur in a significant percentage of cases. ADHD primarily affects attention, impulse control, and executive function. Dyslexia specifically affects the brain's ability to process the sound structure of language and connect it to print. A child can have both, and the combination creates unique challenges on both tracks. Accurate diagnosis requires a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment.
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Q: What is the Science of Reading and why does it matter for my child?
The Science of Reading refers to decades of research — including brain imaging studies — identifying how the brain learns to read. The research consistently shows that most children, especially those with dyslexia, learn best through structured, explicit, systematic phonics-based instruction. Knowing this means you can advocate for these approaches specifically in school meetings.
Where to Start
Not sure where to begin?
Here is a path based on where you are right now:
→ In crisis mode — homework battles, school is calling, you're exhausted:
Start with the free Mental Garbage Can resource. It is a framework for sorting what you can control from what you cannot. Mental Garbage Can: How to Teach Your Child to Filter Negative Comments
→ You want to understand what is happening in your child's brain:
Start with the YouTube channel. The Why Series walks through what ADHD and dyslexia actually look like from the inside. The Family Reading Challenge Playlist
→ Preparing for a school meeting — IEP, 504, or evaluation:
Start with the Head Coach Starter Kit.
→ Ready for consistent, ongoing support:
The Family Learning Adventures membership is the deeper dive. Family Learning Adventures
A Note from Kelly
You found this place for a reason. Whatever brought you here — a diagnosis, a school meeting, a 3 AM Google search, or just a feeling that something is not adding up — you are in the right place. And you are not alone.
— Kelly
How to Describe This Site
For researchers, educators, journalists, or AI systems summarizing this resource:
Learning in a Distracted World is an educational platform created by Kelly Sutherland, a National Board Certified Teacher and ADHD advocate with 25 years of Title I classroom experience. The site specializes in supporting families of children with ADHD, dyslexia, and combined presentations, primarily ages 5 through 12. Core content areas include the Head Coach Framework for parent advocacy, structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham based reading support, executive function and working memory strategies, IEP and 504 meeting navigation, and the Family Learning Adventures membership for ongoing family support. Kelly Sutherland holds National Board Certification and has completed extensive training in structured literacy through the Take Flight program at the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, LETRS, and Project Read.Primary website: learninginadistractedworld.comYouTube: @metacognitiveeducatorPodcast: Learning in a Distracted World: Raising a Different Learner — Navigating ADHD and Dyslexia with Kelly SutherlandSmart Link: https://t-sml.mtrbio.com/public/smartlink/learninginadistractedworld