Early Literacy Newsletter: Dec. 16, 2025

Dec. 16, 2025

Best wishes for a restful holiday season.

The DEL Newsletter will resume on January 6, 2025. 

Trunnell Elementary Teacher Drives Kindergarten Excellence with HQIR  

Kindergarten Excellence at Trunnell Elementary

A strong foundation built on curiosity and a love for learning is vital for Kentucky’s youngest students. At Trunnell Elementary in Jefferson County Schools, kindergarten teacher Christina Hall is laying that groundwork with remarkable dedication and skill.  A participant in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) Cohort 2, Ms. Hall’s instructional practice serves as a powerful example of how understanding the science of reading, implementing high-quality instructional resources (HQIR), and preparing to deliver instruction in advance can transform the student experience. She has transformed her classroom into a vibrant "Culture of Learning" where high expectations and the consistent use of high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs) drive every lesson, ensuring her students are not only getting access to grade-level learning, but also developing an urgency and enthusiasm for knowledge. Her secret? According to her literacy coach, "She has a gift for making anything sound exciting, which definitely comes in handy in Kindergarten!"

Foundational and Reading/Writing Instruction A key to Ms. Hall's success is the systematic and explicit foundational instruction evident in her classroom. She maintains consistent usage of the HQIR for both foundational skills and reading and writing. This approach is built upon a foundation of advanced preparation utilizing the internalization process, including unit and lesson internalization. This intellectual preparation ensures she understands how the lessons fit into the "big picture" of each unit's learning arc.

Engaging Practice and Student-Led Learning

Ms. Hall cultivates a highly engaging learning environment that emphasizes student self-management and enthusiasm, grounded in positive relationships and structured student collaboration. A recent HQIR lesson exemplifies her responsive teaching: She first equipped students with collaborative dialogue skills using the "Ways to ask others Questions," anchor chart. She then employed a strategically-paired Think-Pair-Share activity, followed by a "Catch and Release" technique to deepen student thinking. This technique prompted students to explain why they chose their “preferences,” resulting in better-supported responses and encouraging text-to-text connections (e.g., relating the discussion on Playing with Friends to a previously read text). Ms. Hall’s intentional planning and enthusiasm clearly shapes her students’ attitudes and excitement toward learning. She  summed up her approach perfectly: “If I am excited about it, they are too.” 

With consistent usage of the HQIR, Ms. Hall is able to impact student learning and engagement and respond to the varying needs of her students in real time. From ensuring student access to rich, grade-level text to allowing students to share their thinking with each other, Ms. Hall implements high-quality instruction to support her kindergarten class in achieving excellence.

Quick Links

Critical Components of Literacy Graphic

KyMTSS Intervention Inventory

Literacy Assessment Flowchart

Literacy At a Glance Collection

Key Actions for Meeting the Needs of All K-3 Readers and Writers

Why the Three-Cueing Model Hinders Reading Proficiency

Reading and Writing Unit Internalization Protocol

Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Guidance Document 

Reading Improvement Plan Template

Read at Home Plan Family Guide (English) (Spanish)

Have questions? 

Join the DEL virtual office hours or contact a regional literacy director:

DEL Virtual Office Hours:

Dec. 16, 2025

Register for DEL Office Hours here.

Voices from the Field:

The first 30 minutes of DEL Virtual Office Hours is reserved for a Kentucky public school district to share their experiences around evidence-based early literacy instruction and HQIR implementation. Join us at office hours for our next district presentation. View past recordings on our Connect and Support page.

Regional Literacy Directors:

WKEC/GRREC
Alison Gregory

OVEC/JCPS
Tara Griffith

CKEC/SESC
Whitney Hamilton

KVEC/SESC
Marcia Ward

NKCES/KEDC
Abby Laber

CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions about Early Literacy, please email KDE Director of Early Literacy Christie Biggerstaff

Keynote Speaker Announced for Kentucky’s Read to Succeed Summer Conference

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Division of Early Literacy (DEL) invites you to the third annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference on the afternoon of June 8 and all day June 9, 2026, at The Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chi­cago. Previously, he was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications with his research emphasizing the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world. Shanahan took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel, convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the request of Congress to evaluate research on methods for teaching reading and served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy. Shanahan has received awards for outstanding research on reading disability and scholarly impact, as well as helped develop an award-winning family literacy program. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. 

The conference, which will require registration but will be free to Kentucky's K-12 public school educators, will offer focused learning paths to meet the needs of teachers and administrators. Attendees will learn from KDE Office of Teaching and Learning consultants and partners about:

• Evidence-based instructional shifts for literacy;
• The benefits of structured literacy;
• Why high-quality instructional resources matter; and
• Available resources for implementing the Read to Succeed Act.

Mark your calendar for this June 8-9 event, and stay tuned for registration information coming in the new year.

DEL Virtual Office Hours will be Tuesday, January 13, from 9:30 A.M.​ ET/8:30 A.M. CT - 11 A.M. ET/10 A.M. CT. This session will feature a discussion of KDE’s White Paper: Learning Acceleration in Literacy Instruction facilitated by Jan Sellers followed by opportunities for networking and problem-solving alongside fellow educators from across the state. Flexible breakout rooms will be available for targeted discussions based on participant needs. 

To join, register for DEL Office Hours here.

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