Recently, our kindergarten teachers and instructional coaches at Dogwood, Hawthorne and Kearney Elementary hosted a special hands-on family learning night focused on early reading support.

Families of students who could benefit from a little extra help in reading were invited in to learn alongside our staff. Together, they explored simple, high-impact phonics strategies and talked through practical ways to reinforce those skills at home. The goal was straightforward: give families clear, usable tools that build confidence and keep students moving forward. Each family also left with a take-home toolkit so they can keep practicing beyond the classroom. 

"We are grateful to our families for showing up, leaning in and partnering with our teachers, and we are proud of our educators for creating welcoming, supportive opportunities that meet students where they are," KSD Director of Curriculum & Instruction Ali Stewart said. "Early literacy is one of the most important building blocks we can provide, and nights like this are a great example of what happens when schools and families work together."