Ready to Teach Reading

Britney Leavelle, Hope Zone Coaching Manager, is excited to kick off a new school year and reconnect with her favorite teachers — the Ready to Read Teaching Cohort. Now in her second year with the program, Britney spent the summer collaborating with her coaching team, reflecting on what worked well last year and identifying ways to strengthen the program for even greater impact. 

This year’s cohort includes 27 classrooms across 5 Preschool Promise providers within the Hope Zone. Each participating teacher will receive customized 1:1 coaching through the school year, ensuring personalized support and practical strategies.

Every month, teachers will attend an afternoon of professional learning focused on integrating language and literacy into their classrooms. These sessions include:

• A Brain Smart Start to set the tone for learning.

• Insights from the Family Connections team to strengthen home-school partnerships.

• Hands-on activities and breakout groups for peer-to-peer learning and mentoring.

• Focused work on classroom environment, instruction, and assessment, with guidance on bringing all components together.

The learning cohort is designed to create a collaborative community where teachers can share ideas, mentor one another, and refine their practice. KRA scores have already shown a positive correlation in classrooms participating in Ready to Read coaching, and Britney is eager to build on that success this year. Thank you to Omega CDC for your continued partnership in the Hope Zone!