Everything I believe about reading, learning, and children begins with a man in Brazil who couldn't read a single word — and decided, at age 20, that was going to change.
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My grandfather built a school so his 20 children could receive the education he never had.
He grew up in Brazil unable to read or write. But at the age of 20, something shifted. He picked up a Bible and decided he wanted to know — truly know — what it said. Not what someone told him it said. What it actually said, word for word, for himself.
So he learned to read. At 20 years old, from scratch, driven entirely by a hunger for truth and the belief that understanding something for yourself is worth any effort it takes.
That belief became the foundation of our family. He built a school. He raised children who valued learning above almost everything else. And eventually, one of those values reached me — a girl who would cross an ocean, learn a new language, earn three degrees, and spend her career making sure every child she teaches learns not just to read, but to truly understand.
My father carried that legacy forward in his own way. He used to say something I have never forgotten — something I repeat to myself every time I sit down to plan a session:
"What you learn, no one can ever take away from you."
Silas- My father, who believed in education before he believed in almost anything else
The girl who moved to the US at 14 not speaking English became the educator who teaches the world to read. Here is the road that got her here.
I grew up in Brazil in a family that treated learning as the most valuable thing a person could possess. My grandfather's story — and my father's words — were always present. Education was not optional. It was identity.
I arrived in the United States at 14 years old, speaking little English. I know exactly what it feels like to be a child surrounded by words you do not yet understand — to work twice as hard to follow a conversation everyone else takes for granted. That experience lives in every session I teach.
Less than a year after arriving in a new country, I earned an academic achievement award and won the Portuguese spelling bee. Not because it was easy — but because I knew what learning meant and what it cost.
🥇 Academic Achievement Award 🏆 Spelling Bee ChampionFour years of Math Olympiad. Four placements. This was not about being "the smart kid" — it was about discovering that the mind, when challenged and supported, can do remarkable things. That discovery never left me.
🥇 1st Place 🥈 2nd Place × 2 🥉 3rd PlaceA girl who moved from Brazil at 14 not speaking English debated global policy at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I tell this story not to impress — but to remind every child I teach that where you start does not determine where you can go.
Three degrees across three disciplines — science, education, and literacy research. I never chose between being a scientist and an educator. I am both. And that combination shapes how I teach — rigorously, curiously, and always grounded in evidence.
I have taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade. I have served as a school librarian and a leadership coordinator. I run a coding club for children because I believe great education has no walls — it crosses subjects, disciplines, and borders. Every child I have taught has made me a better teacher for the next one.
My grandfather built a school for his children. I built one for yours. Online, live, available anywhere in the world — in English and Portuguese. This is the work I was made for.
My grandfather read so he could know the truth for himself. My father taught me that learning is the one thing no one can take. I arrived in America at 14 and used education to build a life I never could have imagined from where I started.
Reading is not just a skill. It is freedom. It is the ability to think your own thoughts, verify your own truths, and go anywhere in the world — even if you never leave your chair.
That is what I want for every child I teach. Not a better test score. A better relationship with ideas.
"Live well. Learn lots. Travel the world."Talk to Dr. DeSouza — it's free
Every session is backed by 18+ years of classroom experience and doctoral-level research in exactly how children learn to read.
Doctoral-level research and methodology in reading comprehension — the highest academic credential in this field.
Graduate-level training in how children develop, learn, and thrive in educational environments.
A scientific foundation that informs how I approach evidence, research, and the biology of learning itself.
Years of curating reading programs, coordinating curriculum, and connecting children with the books that change them.
Trained in leadership and character development — because reading comprehension is only part of what great education builds.
Running an active coding club for children because curiosity and critical thinking have no subject boundaries.
I moved to the United States at 14. I sat in classrooms where every word took more effort than it did for the students around me. I know what it costs — and what it builds — to learn across languages.
That experience is not a footnote in my story. It is the reason I am fluent in both English and Portuguese and why I serve bilingual families with the same depth I bring to everything else.
"Eu sei o que é aprender em uma língua que não é a sua. Eu fiz isso. E aprendi que a leitura — verdadeira leitura — não tem idioma. Ela te liberta em qualquer língua que você escolher."
Full Portuguese-language reading clubs available. Dr. DeSouza understands your culture, your language, and what your child needs.
Serving homeschool families across the US and internationally — anywhere with an internet connection and a child who loves books.
If your family lives between cultures and languages — Dr. DeSouza understands that world intimately. It is her world too.
Book a free 20-minute discovery call. It is a conversation — warm, unhurried, and all about your child's reading journey.
No commitment · No sales pitch · Just Dr. DeSouza and your family