Katie Michols is fostering the promise of literacy as the site coordinator for Reading Power, a literacy nonprofit based in Lake Bluff. The organization provides individualized reading support for children in preschool through second grade, and the organization has made a difference in the lives of thousands of young children since its founding in 2003. Not only does Katie teach young children in under-resourced schools how to read, but she also nurtures a true love and appreciation for reading. Katie mentioned, “Our young students may not specifically remember me or the books we read, but they will remember how we made them feel about reading.” She, a mother of three, recently talked with Chicago North Shore Moms about the influence and importance of Reading Power. She also shared an impressive list of recommended reads for adults, restaurant recommendations, summer events not to miss in her town, and enlightening ways to get involved with no prior experience needed. Welcome, Katie and Reading Power.
Hi Katie! Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
Hi! Thank you for inviting me to share in this space! My name is Katie Michols, and I grew up in Wheeling, IL. My husband, Kevin, and I have been married for 12 years and moved to Libertyville exactly 10 years ago this summer. My first teaching job as a new college graduate brought me to Libertyville, and I fell in love with the charm of the town and all the fun experiences my students shared about growing up here.
Now, I love getting to make similar memories with our three children, who are 10, 9, and 7. They are at such sweet ages, where they are independent but still love nothing more than a snuggle from mom. Their activities – dance, soccer, basketball, and baseball- keep us busy, but we love watching their games and recitals. We have made so many great friends over the last 10 years through the kids’ school and activities, as well as our neighborhood and church. We are grateful for this wonderful community!
What are one or two fun facts to know about you?
During my junior year of college, I studied abroad for a semester at the Loyola Rome Center. I have so many amazing memories and experiences from those four months living abroad. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to live and travel abroad, and I am so grateful I was able to do it! One of my favorite memories from that time is skydiving over the Swiss Alps for my 21st birthday. I don’t think I will ever forget the feeling of the clear, fresh Swiss air and the snowy Alps surrounding me during the free fall – which is good, because I do not think I could ever do it again, ha!
What are your favorite local places, spaces and eats to frequent?
We love how Cook Park centers Libertyville’s downtown and hosts so many family-friendly events, like Libertyville Days, Dog Days of Summer, Farmers’ Market, Lunch in the Park, and the tree-lighting ceremony to open the holiday season. You can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants in town, and each one is great for a date night or dinner with girlfriends. Our kids love Mickey Finn’s, O’Tooles, Bagels By the Book, and Sugarville (of course!), and we always order from Bottaio for my birthday dinner!
As a family, we love walking the trails at Old School Forest Preserve all year long. Tuesday night concerts at Independence Grove in the summer are so fun and beautiful at sunset. We also have many great memories of long beach days at Lake Minear or swimming with friends at Adler or Riverside Pool.
For me, I have been a member at Heather’s Gym in Libertyville for the last three years, and I love the mix of strength, cycle, and yoga classes the three studios provide. The instructors, community, and energy at 5:30am is the best! Exercising first thing in the morning sets my mindset and gives me the momentum I need to take on the day ahead.
Your expert recs are needed 🙂 What are you reading?
I am a huge reader and my Kindle goes everywhere with me. I’m at the point where I choose purses based on if I can fit my Kindle in it or not- ha! Some of my favorites from this summer have been The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, Real Americans by Rachel Khong, and Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. My top 5 all-time favorite reads to recommend include the Beartown series by Fredrik Backman, The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, Hamlet by Maggie O’Farrell, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you?
“Water the flowers, not the weeds.” I love this mindset because it focuses your attention and energy on all the good (and there is so much good!) rather than the negative. When you notice and nurture the good, it grows (and likewise, negativity feeds negativity). This has guided me as a parent, teacher, and how I choose to interact with others.
Your go to family-friendly dinners… go!
Eating dinner together as a family has always been a top priority, and sometimes it takes some planning in advance and means dinner is served at 4:30 before practices or games that night! I keep favorite recipe links saved in the notes app of my phone. I’ve found in busy seasons, it is helpful to plan two weeks of meals and then repeat that rotation. It takes the mental load off planning and grocery-list making! Some of our favorite family-friendly dinners include turkey or black bean tacos, pick-your-own sandwich night, black bean tortilla soup, or chicken or salmon over salad (which can be constructed – deconstructed – based on everyone’s preferences!).
Your mantra?
Everything is figure-outable! My husband has helped me to internalize this, and I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff, and that together, we can solve any problem.
Another saying that sounds a little silly, but is actually so wise is, “I am the thermostat.” This means that I have the power to control the ‘temperature’ of our home (or any situation) based on how I act or respond. If I stay cool, chances are others around me will, too.
Let’s get down to business. Please introduce Reading Power.
Reading Power is a literacy nonprofit that provides individualized, high-dosage, one-to-one tutoring in person during the school day for children in preschool through second grade. We do this by partnering with schools needing supplemental literacy support, where needs exceed resources.
I am the site coordinator for our kindergarten and first and second grade program at LEARN 10, one of our school sites in North Chicago. This is my second year in this role, but I first started as a volunteer tutor three years ago. I was looking to find a volunteer opportunity when my youngest went to kindergarten. My Monday afternoons spent reading and playing games with my kindergarten students quickly became my favorite part of the week, and I knew I wanted to work in a professional manner with the program after that.
What inspired you to pursue a career in literacy education, and what do you find most rewarding about your work with young children?
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. During one of my student teaching experiences, my cooperating teacher suggested that I observe the reading specialist during one of her small-group reading sessions. It was during that 30-minute lesson time that I knew I wanted to be a reading teacher. I admired the connection, care, and patience it takes to support a young student learning to read, as well as the confidence you can build in a small-group setting outside of the classroom.
I went on to earn a master’s degree in reading, and I loved working as an elementary reading interventionist. After my youngest was born, I chose to stay home with our three young children. During that time, I learned about Reading Power and its mission to accelerate literacy learning and grow a love of reading in schools where it was needed most. Being a part of a child’s literacy foundation is truly the most rewarding experience.
I know that our young students may not specifically remember me or the books we read, but they will remember how we made them feel about reading. We have an amazing opportunity to be the voice in their heads when they encounter a difficult word and their biggest supporters as they learn to read – how awesome is that! This motivation carries over to all subject areas and future grades, too.
Can you explain the significance of high-dosage, one-to-one tutoring and how it impacts the literacy development of preschool through second-grade students?
High-dose tutoring—defined as three or more individualized sessions per week—is one of the most effective ways to boost achievement for students, surpassing methods like cooperative learning, computer-based instruction, and mentoring (Poverty Action Lab, 2021). At Reading Power, we implement this approach to ensure our students receive the intensive support they need to succeed. Research shows that positive, caring relationships with consistent tutors support students’ social-emotional development, increase attachment to school, and connect students with mentors to help them navigate the education system.
How does Reading Power identify and partner with schools that need supplemental literacy support, and what criteria do you use to determine these partnerships?
Reading Power partners with schools where the learning needs of the students exceed the amount of resources the school has available. For a school to be eligible to receive our services, at least 50 percent of third grade students must score below the 50th percentile on standardized reading assessments. Each year, new school districts reach out to Reading Power requesting our program, and current districts seek to expand our services. We need additional funding to meet this growing demand. Our goal is exponential growth into new schools and districts over the next three years, extending the promise of literacy to even more students. As we scale our programs, we remain dedicated to maintaining the quality of our research-based, data driven curricula.
Can you describe a typical day at Reading Power for both tutors and students, and what specific strategies or methods are used during the tutoring sessions?
Reading Power’s highly trained volunteer tutors provide one-to-one literacy instruction during the school day under the guidance of educational professionals. Lesson plans structure each tutoring session and are individualized daily for each student. Each kindergarten through second grade session encompasses reading, writing, and speaking to foster the promise of literacy.
A typical day in a kindergarten or first and second grade Reading Power classroom begins with a tutor meeting led by the site coordinator. We use this time to share resources to use during the tutoring lessons as well as explain different literacy strategies to support each student. Tutors then work one-to-one with three students over the course of a morning or afternoon. The coordinators at each site are available to assist and support tutors, as well as monitor student progress. Tutors see the same three students each week and really develop a deep connection over the course of the school year. Likewise, tutors also enjoy getting to know one another and catching up each week!
During the 2023-2024 school year alone, 748 students in North Chicago, Palatine, Waukegan, Wheeling and Zion were paired with over 375 trained volunteer tutors. Reading Power’s students are making remarkable progress, with 72% meeting grade-level expectations in literacy and increasing an average of five book levels last year.
Remarkable progress and so rewarding! Please share a memorable success story of a student of Reading Power’s tutoring program?
Alyna, a first grader who joined Reading Power last fall, immediately comes to mind. By mid-year, after 40 Reading Power sessions, she had already made an extraordinary amount of growth, surpassing the end-of-year first-grade literacy benchmarks. In addition to her academic growth, her tutors have seen her self-esteem and enjoyment building as she has unlocked the code to reading. One of her tutors, Jeff, shares, “I love that Alyna has developed her ability to read books smoothly and with feeling. She now has a great understanding of what she is reading. I am so proud of her progress.”
Alyna’s story is just one among the many Reading Power student success stories in all ten of our partner schools this year.
What do you want our readers to take away from this spotlight?
Reading Power is looking for dedicated volunteers to tutor preschool through second grade students in under-resourced schools located in North Chicago, Palatine, Waukegan, Wheeling and Zion. By committing to just one to three hours a week during the school day for the school year, you can make a significant difference. No prior experience is needed—only a love for children and reading is required! Our trained Reading Power staff will provide all the guidance you need. Tutoring a student can profoundly affect both their life and yours. Join us in making a difference! For more information and to apply, visit www.readingpowerinc.org.
Share your contact details including social media.
We invite you to partner with Reading Power as we strive for a future that fosters the promise of literacy for every child.
DONATE – Support Reading Power by making a contribution on our website at readingpowerinc.org/donate
VOLUNTEER – Tutor one child. Change two lives. Learn more about becoming a volunteer tutor at readingpowerinc.org/tutor
VISIT READING POWER IN ACTION – Schedule a private program tour or attend one of our quarterly events to learn more about our organization, our initiatives, and how we’re positively impacting our students’ literacy learning
FOLLOW US – Sign up for our monthly newsletter at readingpowerinc.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
For more ways to get involved, email us at [email protected] or call at 224-436-8060.
*This has been a nonprofit spotlight brought to you by Reading Power Inc. Thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about your local nonprofits that make our North Shore communities so great.