Founder Story: How Lovevery Is Raising a Generation of Confident Little Readers

When you become a parent, the questions feel endless. Am I feeding my baby the right foods? Are they hitting milestones? How can I support their development when every book, friend, and expert seems to say something different? For Jessica Rolph, these questions didn’t just shape her parenting journey—they inspired an entirely new category of products that parents around the world now swear by.

“I’ve spent the last 17 years of my career in early childhood,” Jessica explains. “The first company I cofounded, Happy Family, is the leading brand of organic baby and toddler food in the U.S. I learned so much about the importance of nutrition as I built Happy Family, and I felt confident about what I was feeding my baby’s body. The next question was, what did I need to do to nourish his brain?”

That next question sparked Lovevery. “I discovered a doctoral thesis on infant brain development that offered detailed, nerdy ideas for toys I could make and activities we could do together. The approach felt really natural and simple—I never looked at children’s toys the same way again. I want other parents to feel confident about their children’s learning and development, too. That’s the inspiration for Lovevery.”

Why Reading Became the Next Frontier

From Play Kits to stage-based learning toys, Lovevery has become a global name in early childhood development. But when it came to reading, Jessica saw another gap emerging—one that worried her not just as a founder, but as a mum.

“The latest research shows that reading success in early childhood is reaching a crisis point in Australia,” she says. “Children around the world face various challenges when learning to read, and literacy remains a global concern across different educational systems and languages. The reasons for reading difficulties are complex, but one thing is certain: Regular practice at home makes a big difference.”

For Lovevery, the challenge was to turn that research into something parents could actually use. “When we set out to create The Reading Skill Set, our intent was to design an engaging, screen-free solution that blends research-based phonics instruction with play. We know that practice builds confidence, confidence inspires motivation, and motivation leads to more practice. So how do you get children to practice? Make it fun.”

What Makes the Reading Skill Set Different

Parents are familiar with phonics programs, flashcards, and workbooks—but The Reading Skill Set takes a very different approach.

“First, The Reading Skill Set is a play-based system,” Jessica says. “That means learning even advanced phonics skills is fun and motivating. We hear all the time that children pull it out even before their parents ask them to.”

“It’s also complete. It begins with phonological awareness—think compound words and rhyming—and goes all the way up to reading whole chapter books. Most importantly, The Reading Skill Set builds confidence. Children first learn a skill by playing a fun game. Then, they’re ready to practice that skill by reading a book that only uses the letter-sound rules they’ve already learned.”

Even the books themselves are distinct. “They feature engaging storylines, relatable characters, and the same real-life photography that makes all Lovevery books so beloved. The Reading Skill Set is screen-free, and it really works. In an early 6-week study, 98% of children improved their reading test scores, 98% of parents reported that their child was more confident about reading, and 94% of parents felt more prepared to support their child in reading.”

Research First, Always

Lovevery’s model has always been to build with experts, not just for parents—and the Reading Skill Set was no exception.

“To develop The Reading Skill Set, we worked with an advisory board of literacy, phonics, Montessori, and early education experts. We began by studying decades of research on the most effective ways to help children learn to read. Phonics-based instruction was our focus from the beginning. A phonics approach teaches children how to identify each letter form and connect it to its most common sound. Once they’re able to do that, they can begin blending sounds together to read words and sentences. Historically, resistance to phonics instruction has stemmed from a perception that it’s all drills and flashcards, but it doesn’t have to be. The Reading Skill Set is proof.”

Jessica points to Spencer Russell, Lovevery’s Head of Literacy, as a driving force. “As a former educator and founder of one of the largest online communities for parents learning about literacy, Spencer has helped thousands of parents coach their children as they learn to read. He shares our core belief that when kids learn to read well early on, they do better in school and have more opportunities.”

Parenting, Screens, and Real-Life Challenges

One of the reasons Lovevery has become a trusted brand is that it doesn’t shy away from real parent struggles. Screen time guilt is one of them.

“Consider having books around the house, in your car, and your nappy bag helps show your child that reading is an anytime activity – not just dedicated to one space or just at bedtime. Providing your child with more opportunities to reach for a book instead of a screen helps foster a healthier relationship with reading.”

Jessica admits her own parenting journey shaped the program more than anything. “I started out believing that if I read out loud to my children enough, they would naturally learn to read on their own. But the path wasn’t what I expected for any of my three children. There was novelty and excitement at first, but as soon as the hard work set in, the resistance began. Reading is hard—especially in the English language, which seems to break as many rules as it follows. I quickly realised that my children needed playful experiences with each skill to build confidence. We tried a few different screen-based programs, but they were too gamified and my children didn’t make progress. All of those experiences informed the design of the Reading Skill Set.”

For parents already juggling school runs, work deadlines, and endless to-do lists, she stresses that literacy starts small. “Though it may not seem obvious, your child begins learning how to read from the moment they’re born. When you speak, read, and sing to your baby, you introduce the vocabulary, rhythm, and rules of language that will later help them decode and understand the meaning of text.”

“Early exposure to books also shows your child how they work—which side goes up, the difference between printed words and images, and how to turn the pages. By the time they’re ready to begin learning how to read, your child may already understand that words have smaller sounds within them and stories include characters and a plot. Early literacy skills like these prepare your child to do the hard work of learning to read, which is why books have been an integral part of Lovevery from the beginning.”

What Success Looks Like

For Jessica, success isn’t just about sales or market share—it’s about making sure parents feel less alone.

“We’re working every day to ensure that Lovevery grows as an essential support system for parents. Our subscription Play Kits program is serving families’ needs for stage-based learning and expert guidance, but we also realised that there was a need for skill-specific programs, such as early reading. We will always listen to our customers as we create new products that serve more families for more years. Our ultimate vision for success is to support every part of the parenting experience throughout early childhood.”