KD Ed: The Essential Literacy Strategy Specialist

Because Words Matter

From the time they’re toddlers, we tell our kids “use your words,” when they meet with frustration, anger, or discontent. We do this because we know inherently that using our words is a powerful tool—words convey ideas, questions, and emotions. Words create connections and help us form relationships with one another and the world around us.

At KD Ed, we know that words matter, and that using words effectively can mean the difference between success and struggle for our students. That’s why we specialize in creating literacy strategies that help students learn the skills they need to interact with words and text, both written and spoken. We’re on a mission to provide educators with the tools they need to help students become empowered readers, writers, and thinkers.

Our expert reading team specializes in helping teachers and students realize their capacity to read, write, listen, think, discuss, and create—and to do so with confidence.

Now More than Ever

Reading and writing skills have been paramount to achievement in any domain throughout modern history. And while the importance of these skills is well-established, for too many students, the essential reading comprehension strategies they need remain elusive. In fact, according to the latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only about a third of 4th and 8th grade students are reading at or above grade level.

To make matters worse, post-pandemic learning lag continues to be an important concern for parents, educators as well as administrators. And even though schools have returned to a somewhat normal schedule, many teachers feel ill-equipped to provide the level of text comprehension and writing strategy support their students need. That’s where we come in.

At KD Ed, we understand the challenges you and your students are facing, and we’re here to help. We offer a range of reading strategies and strategy-building services that can help you close the post-pandemic learning gap. Our research-based approach is designed using text dependent resources to meet students’ individualized needs and help them move into and beyond reading proficiency and on to mastery.

Every school needs essential literacy support. Learn more about KD Ed Consulting and our strategy building service by booking an appointment with us today. We can help make reading instruction more engaging and meaningful for you and your students.

Reviews to Rely On: Stakeholders Speak Out

When it comes to improving reading proficiency, you’re sure to have questions about how our classroom strategies can help students learn to love reading and make a real difference. Our stakeholders report feeling empowered and informed, with major increases in important skills leading to tangible gains for their students. Read on to discover what other educators have to say about working with KD Ed:

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How We Put Literacy First

Literacy is at the heart of all we do at KD Ed. We believe that a literate society is important to a stronger society—one more tolerant and better able to serve its citizenry. We partner with schools, districts, and other educational entities to provide reading and teaching support that meets students where they are and then helps them to reach new heights. Our reading and writing services are richly text-dependent and specifically tailored to fit the unique needs of each organization. These services include:

Comprehensive Literacy Assessments with Actionable Data

Because you can’t know where a student is without first understanding where they’ve been, an important part of our strategy is an initial assessment of a student’s current skills in reading and writing, beyond basic text comprehension and recall. Using this text-dependent assessment, we create a data-driven action plan and provide the foundational literacy strategies that foster text comprehension, text analysis, text production, and text organization. This strategy makes reading more relevant for students and teaching more meaningful. KD Ed also offers ongoing progress monitoring and data analysis to help keep reading goals on track and inform strategy interventions.

Targeted Instruction and Interventions

From basic text decoding strategies and reading comprehension skills to complex text analysis and extended reasoning, our essential literacy strategies go beyond the text to build important higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. We provide classroom teachers with the text-dependent tools they need to create engaging instruction that supports students in building foundational reading and writing strategies, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Our targeted literacy teaching strategies are designed to evoke thoughtful questions and important connections that build mastery, as students move beyond text-based comprehension and into text analysis, text synthesis, and text application.

Integrated Technology Solutions

In today’s digital age, classic text-based literacy isn’t enough for tech-savvy students. We understand that students require a well-rounded approach to text comprehension to make connections and maximize their learning gains. From sight words and comprehension questions to higher order connections like text-leveling and text analysis, we offer a variety of tech-driven learning solutions that make text comprehension, text analysis, and text production more engaging for tech-savvy (and sometimes text- hesitant) students. Using apps and other online tools along with classic text-based resources, our integrated literacy strategies are designed using evidence-based solutions that help students make relevant connections with a text and take text comprehension to the next level.

Professional Learning (PL) for Teachers

At KD Ed, we know that professional growth is essential for teachers to continuously deliver effective instruction and meet the needs of their students. We also know teacher time is precious, so we provide online and in-person professional learning opportunities to help build teacher capacity to deliver reading strategies in the classroom. Our goal is to help teachers develop the strategies and skills they need to enable students to ask questions and interpret text (from a book or other media) by analyzing and using information from the text effectively as readers and writers.

Ongoing Literacy Support for Teachers

Maintaining momentum requires an ongoing support strategy, and we provide that through our continuous monitoring and support services, designed using data-driven feedback and goal progression. Our staff is committed to the reading growth of your students and the retention of every teacher. We understand the demands of the classroom, and we work hard to provide meaningful, text-dependent strategies and strategy-builders that make teaching rewarding and meet the needs of your students. KD Ed Consulting is here to help you take reading strategies and text-based discovery to the next level. Our team combines important strategies and skills to create engaging lessons that foster text-dependent learning along with higher-order connections and questions in students.

Ready to make a difference in the lives of your students and staff? Let’s get started! Book an appointment today and let us help you create an essential literacy culture in your school.

The KD Ed Difference

Founder and CEO Dr. Karen DiBella brings a wealth of professional and educational experience to the table, having worked as a classroom teacher, leader, and instructional coach in both public and private sectors. She approaches literacy instruction through an equity lens and has developed a unique series of reading and teaching services that are customized for teachers and students with diverse ability levels.

At KD Ed Consulting, we believe that all students have the potential to reach their educational goals, yet we also know that students enter the classroom with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, many of them traumatic and life-altering. As empathetic consultants and instructors, we strive to make reading and writing relevant, accessible, and enjoyable for all students—especially those who struggle to make connections with or have been denied access to educational opportunities in the past. We want to make your school a space that values reading as the kind of experience that will unlock limitless possibilities for your students.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out with questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Educating the Whole Child

At KD Ed, we take a holistic approach when it comes to literacy and how students learn. We recognize the importance of addressing all elements of a student’s education, including social and emotional well-being and other academic areas such as science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Through our comprehensive instruction and professional learning services, we aim to foster an environment in which students can not only gain knowledge from a book or other text and increase their reading proficiency, but also learn how to apply such strategies in relevant ways, inside and out of the classroom.

We facilitate a variety of workshops aimed at developing teachers’ capacity to deliver effective instruction and engage students in text-rich learning experiences. From digital teaching tools and strategies to classic book reviews and building classroom connections, our goal is to help teachers develop skills and strategies that give students the necessary tools to succeed in school and beyond.

Meeting the Social Emotional Learning Needs of Students
Early Literacy
Impactful Literacy Centers
Reading for Purpose
Importance of Interactive Read Alouds
Disciplinary Literacy (Literacy in the Content Area)
Literacy and STEAM
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Student Wellness and Mindfulness
Educator Wellbeing and Retention
Building Capacity and Relationships

KD Ed specializes in providing reading and writing classroom support for students in grades K-12. With the expertise and knowledge necessary to provide targeted strategies that help meet students’ individual needs, we help educators provide the essential literacy strategy instruction that makes a difference in how students learn as well as teacher satisfaction. Whether it’s providing guidance on effective instructional strategies, research-backed interventions, or skills assessment and data analysis, KD Ed helps build stronger tomorrows for your students and stakeholders.

Transformation in Progress

When you partner with KD Ed Consulting, you are getting more than just a reading support service—you are embarking on a journey of transformation. We work closely with school districts to develop and implement effective literacy strategies that focus on measurable goals and lasting impact. Our team of experienced consultants and researchers is dedicated to teaching educators how to develop the strategies they need to create a culture of literacy, equip students with the tools they need to succeed, and provide ongoing support along the way. Our strategy is text-extensive and results-driven, with an emphasis on creating sustainable change in your school. We believe students should be able to access text in any book or online resource they choose, using it to build knowledge and create connections in all areas.

High Stakes, Higher Standards

Our commitment to a bright and equitable future doesn’t stop at the reading teacher’s classroom door. We recognize that today’s readers are indeed tomorrow’s leaders, and that high standards and expectations for students and leaders alike are key to success. Our evidence-based reading and writing practices and comprehension strategies help ensure teacher and learner accountability at all levels and provide the tools and support needed to keep literacy instruction on track.

By helping educators meet reading comprehension standards, achieve goals, and create a culture of success among students, we are working together to help make a better tomorrow for all. Let us help you take your district’s literacy instruction from good to great. Book an appointment today and let’s grow together!