First-graders at four of the district’s six elementary schools were recently paired with mentors from the Ignite Reading program, who are now providing “high dosage” tutoring to help participating students become better readers.
“The program is up and running at Donahue, Kelly, Morgan, and Lawrence schools,” said HPS Executive Director of Academics Rebecca Thompson, “and participation has been great. The tutoring work to address students’ literacy gaps is already underway.”
In October, Holyoke Public Schools received a $282,500 grant from the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation to support the first year of a pilot literacy mentoring program for students who are struggling readers. The foundation also committed to maintaining funding for the program through the 2026-27 school year, allowing HPS to contract with Ignite Reading to provide “high dosage” individualized one-on-one support from trained tutors for students who are struggling readers.
“Our goal is to triple the number of first graders who are reading at or above grade level,” Ms. Thompson said.
Ignite Reading tutors have conducted baseline assessments of 113 participating students and have determined where each should start in the sequence of building foundational skills. Tutors are now working one-on-one with their assigned students for 15 minutes each day helping them master lessons in foundational skills.
There are 168 first-grade students in the four participating schools—so tutoring support will reach 67% of these schools’ first-graders in the first year, and likely more. “If a student completes their work before the year’s end, another student will be assigned to take their place,” Ms. Thompson explained.