About

When I worked in special education, I supported learners with needs that were easy to recognize—Down syndrome, autism, nonverbal communication.

Their differences were visible, and they had the paperwork to match: IEPs, 504 plans, official diagnoses.

No one questioned that they needed support.

But over time, I realized something bigger:

All children need different kinds of support—mine were just harder to ignore.

I began to see the general education classroom through a new lens—one full of variability.

Gifted learners, multilingual learners, learners with ADHD or anxiety, and kids who were simply bored, burned out, or quietly masking their struggles.

They didn’t appear to need something different—but they did.

I realized that while my own learners were thriving with a balance of play-based and explicit instruction, that balance was often missing in other settings I observed.

Too often, learning environments were either focused on play without clear learning goals—or academic instruction without joy, movement, or connection.

When I looked for guidance, I found inclusive frameworks built with K–12 in mind.

They offered big ideas—but not the concrete strategies early childhood educators need to teach foundational literacy skills in ways that are playful, intentional, and inclusive.

That’s why I created the CLEAR Approach.

It was inspired by my work in special education—but designed for all educators navigating the realities of early childhood classrooms.

CLEAR helps teachers bridge the gap between exploratory play and direct instruction—so foundational literacy skills can be taught in ways that feel natural and responsive to how young children learn best.

It helps educators create instruction that is:

• Child-Centered

• Learner-Led

• Engaging

• Active

• Rapport Building

This is not about labeling kids.

It is about teaching them well—all of them.

CLEAR is not just about support.

It is about designing instruction that works for everyone—right from the start.

Because when you teach as if everyone needs something different, you end up reaching everyone.

My experience spans classroom teaching, one-on-one instruction, and educator coaching—across special education, gifted education, and early literacy. I have worked with learners from early childhood through upper elementary, which has deepened my understanding of what effective, inclusive instruction can look like across a range of ages and settings. The CLEAR Approach is grounded in years of real-world observation in diverse learning environments, and it was designed with the daily realities of early childhood professionals in mind—especially those supporting learners with a wide range of strengths, needs, and learning profiles.

Lisa Vodola, CLEAR