What is the ELM Moments Check-In?
ELM Moments is a research-based parent-child literacy check-in developed by Dr. Goldie Schatz, a PhD literacy specialist with more than 20 years of experience working with young readers and their families. It is the foundation of the Early Literacy Milestone (ELM) framework used by JC Literacy.
The check-in takes about 10 to 15 minutes and is designed to feel like a warm, playful conversation between you and your child — not a test. You observe and interact; the framework translates what you notice into language that is actually useful.
At the end, you receive an Early Literacy Milestone Snapshot: a personalised, strengths-first portrait of your child's reading readiness, their current phase on the eight-phase reading trail, and one clear Notice & Nurture move — the single most helpful thing you can do with your child this week.
The check-in is completely free. No sign-up is required to start.
The Four Literacy Pillars
The LUSH framework maps a child's early reading development across four interconnected pillars. Together, these give a full, balanced picture — not a narrow phonics score, and not a vague readiness assessment.
Most literacy tools focus only on phonics (See and Hear). ELM Moments covers all four pillars of the LUSH framework because a child who can decode but who doesn't love books, or who has rich language but doesn't yet notice print, has a different path forward. The full picture leads to a better next step.
The Eight Reading Phases
Rather than placing children on a numbered grade scale, the ELM framework uses eight developmental phases — a reading trail that honours the natural, uneven way children grow into literacy. Each phase has its own landscape, strengths, and the moves that matter most right now.
The snapshot tells you which phase best describes your child right now — and what the research says about what to do next at that phase, translated into things that fit inside ordinary family life.
What Parents Discover
After the check-in, parents receive a personalised Early Literacy Milestone Snapshot that includes:
- Your child's current reading phase — named, described, and celebrated
- A LUSH portrait — where your child is thriving and where there is room to grow across Live, Use, See, and Hear
- One Notice & Nurture move — a specific, playful thing to do together this week that is rooted in the research and fits your child's phase
- A strengths-first narrative — written to help you see your child clearly, not to alarm or overwhelm you
The check-in is not a diagnostic tool, a school-readiness test, or a clinical assessment. It is a parent-facing tool designed to give families language, clarity, and one good next move — nothing more, nothing less.
ELM Moments: The Monthly Portrait
The free check-in is the beginning. Parents who want ongoing support and a living record of their child's reading journey can subscribe to ELM Moments — a monthly membership that builds on the snapshot and grows with your child.
What ELM Moments members receive every month
- A fresh Literacy Snapshot — repeat the check-in monthly to track your child's progress along the reading trail
- Goldie Concierge Coaching — send a question to Dr. Goldie any time; she reads your snapshot data and replies with a personalised answer within a few days
- Weekly Notice & Nurture prompts — three short, seasonal, research-rooted prompts delivered to your inbox each week, matched to your child's current phase and the LUSH framework
- A growing Literacy Portrait — a beautiful, printable record of your child's reading journey, phase by phase, month by month
- Letter Check — a built-in letter-knowledge tracker that maps which letters your child recognises, names, and knows the sound of
ELM Moments is designed for families with children from birth through the early primary years, with a particular focus on the kindergarten window — the twelve months before and after a child's first day of school.
Membership is $47 per month, with no contracts and no commitment. Cancel any time.
About Dr. Goldie — JC Literacy
Dr. Susan "Goldie" Schatz is a PhD literacy specialist with more than twenty years of experience supporting young readers, their teachers, and their families. She created the ELM Moments framework because she saw a gap: parents approaching kindergarten who wanted to help their child but had no clear, warm, research-grounded place to start.
JC Literacy is her answer to that gap. Every tool, prompt, and coaching response in ELM Moments comes from Dr. Goldie directly — not a content team, not a chatbot, not a generic curriculum. It is expert, personal, and built on two decades of watching children find their way into reading.
Dr. Goldie is also the creator of the Kindergarten Confident live masterclass, which walks parents through their child's snapshot in a single focused hour and leaves them with a warm, clear plan before the first day of school.
Start your child's Literacy Snapshot — it's free
Takes 10–15 minutes. No sign-up required to begin. Results are available immediately and are completely free.
Get Your Free Snapshot →Also on this site: Take the Check-In · Kindergarten Confident Masterclass