Playful learning. Joyful reading.

Fun times together.

That’s Hooray Zesty Day.

 

Welcome to Hooray Zesty Day!

Your job is to help give your child a strong foundation for literacy and math. My job is to help you do that…using zest. Okay, and songs and movement. And interactive reading. And simple games that are tailored to your child’s interests. And, well, all the things that make learning a positive experience. But mostly: zest.

What zest looks (and feels!) like…

Zest comes in many forms. It’s what allows us to approach life with enthusiasm, energy, and excitement.

When children have a zest for learning, they’re curious and motivated. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It makes learning new things feel like an adventure. It gives them the courage to try anything. And best of all, it gives them joy. 

Zest lives inside all of us. Sometimes it just needs to be sparked.

Hooray Zesty Day’s mission is to help you do this. With natural and playful strategies you can weave into your daily life.

Hi, I’m Lauren!

I’m an early literacy expert, former children’s librarian, and mom to sweet and silly Stella.

I started Hooray Zesty Day to give parents and caregivers of young children the mindset and methods they need to spark a zest for learning.

This is what starts our children off on the right foot. It’s a gift that can last a lifetime!

A little about me:

I received my Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) with school library licensure in 2009.

My first librarian job was at a private school where I taught library enrichment classes for students in Pre-K through 4th grade. Getting the children excited about books and learning was my favorite part of the job! I also served on the Language Arts Curriculum committee, and instructed students in reading groups each week.

In 2013, I started working as a youth services librarian at a regional public library where I presented toddler and preschool storytimes. I modeled my storytimes after the pre-reading practices of the Every Child Ready to Read initiative. My biggest responsibility was to model for parents and caregivers how to support their child’s early literacy skills so they’d have a strong foundation when learning to read. And a love of books to boot!

Being the huge bookworm that I am (no surprise there!), I served on the North Carolina Children’s Book Award committee for three years. During this time I was also a picture book reviewer for School Library Journal.

When I’m not playing with Stella (or reading!), I can usually be found searching for vintage goods, watching The Golden Girls, and doing yet another load of laundry.

I’m committed to…

  • 1. Challenging the stories we’ve been told

    You and your child deserve joyful learning experiences — regardless of whether you have a fully-stocked craft supply closet or countless hours to prepare lessons, like we're so often told are necessary. They're NOT. I’m here to show you a better way.

  • 2. Helping you connect with your child

    Through songs and movement, interactive reading experiences, silliness and laughter, and imagination-building play. So that the magical parts of early childhood are weaved into your daily life.

  • 3. Celebrating true learning

    Our role as parents is to feed our children’s curiosity and nurture their zest, not to make them dependent on us for their learning. True learning empowers our children to learn on their own and follow their own interests. It’s joyful instead of stressful.

Claim your free audio training:

Three KEYS to Make Learning Irre-ZEST-ible for Young Children

This training is packed with actionable strategies you can put to use immediately.

After listening, you’ll be armed with a framework to make learning so ENTICING, your child won’t be able to resist.

You'll discover...

✔The three strategies of my KEY lime framework that will get your child excited about learning (Key #1 might surprise you!).

✔The four simple practices that will help your child learn naturally (research-based and easy peasy lemon squeezy).

✔Five "Happy Clues" to help you tailor learning strategies to your child's interests and life. So learning is engaging, meaningful and memorable.

Thanks for taking the time to visit!

Now I’d love to learn more about you! The best way to do that is through the Contact page. Drop me a line and tell me what I can help you with. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. 

Hi, I’m Lauren!

I’m an early literacy expert, former children’s librarian, and mom to four-year-old, Stella.

I started Hooray Zesty Day to give parents and caregivers of young children the mindset and methods they need to spark a zest for learning.

This is what starts our children off on the right foot. It’s a gift that can last a lifetime!