Nancy Spencer, Founder of Reading Friends
In the fourth grade, Nancy Thompson Spencer (founder of Reading Friends) was told she would never make it to college. Nancy proved this prediction wrong by earning an undergraduate degree in education along with an endorsement in special education from Texas Christian University. She continued her post-graduate work at East Texas State University and Dean Memorial Learning Center at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital where she became a Certified Language Therapist.
During the first five years of Reading Friends’ existence, the clinic experienced persistent community demand and steady growth that produced the need for a bigger location and expanded curriculum. To accommodate this demand, Reading Friends exited its location at the back of the bookstore and opened the little red school in West Fort Worth, where the school continues to serve discerning families for more than 35 years.
Diane Taylor, Owner, Reading Friends of Aledo
In the spring of 2002, Diane and Paul Taylor’s daughter, Rachel, was graduating from Reading Friends’ Pre-K program in Fort Worth. Diane approached Nancy that spring day and shared with her what a wonderful experience the school had been and that she would love to be a part of it someday. It was that conversation that led Diane to make a dramatic life-change from her role as a Senior Vice President of JP Morgan Chase to owning her own Reading Friends school in Aledo, Texas.
Diane left her job in banking and opened the Aledo school doors in January 2008. At the request of parents, she expanded the school to offer a K-Bridge and Kindergarten program in 2009. In 2016, Diane secured two acres across from Aledo High School and began the process of building her dream school. She opened the doors in January, 2018, to delighted students, parents and teachers! Please visit our Gallery for pictures of the school!