Our History

Engaging Learners inspires educators with professional learning solutions that set the stage for student literacy growth.

The result — confident readers, writers, and thinkers ready to thrive.

Since 2014, Dr. Katie McKnight has worked with educators all over the country, combining in-person coaching and workshops with virtual PD and live conference presentations.

In addition to research-based instructional practices and classroom-tested assessment strategies, Katie McKnight’s Engaging Learners quickly became known for:

• Literacy & Learning Centers™ - Katie’s unique, centers-based approach to grade 4-12 instruction, was developed through her years of research and classroom experience. It has resulted in dramatic academic gains in every school that implements the model with fidelity.

• Yes, And: Improvisation in the Classroom - Based on the book The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning, by Katherine McKnight and Mary Scruggs. (Jossey-Bass, 2008). Thanks to Katie’s work, teachers and administrators alike have discovered that improv is an ideal pedagogical strategy for teaching and learning because it has both inherent structure and flexibility. It links sensory-motor, cognitive, and social emotional experiences and provides the optimal setting for adolescent brain development and inclusive classrooms.

Recently, Katie has had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Jenny French and Dr. Dianna Beirne onto the Engaging Learners team. Jenny and Dianna’s expertise on The Science of Reading, Artificial Intelligence in Schools, Multilingual Learners, and School Administration has made it possible for Engaging Learners to help even more schools achieve their literacy objectives - especially for grade 4-12 learners..

Engaging Learners offers flexible solutions to address the spectrum of literacy needs.

If you want a peek at what we’ve we been up to, just take a look. Of course if you have questions about our work on a particular topic, or in a specific district, region, or state, send us a message. We’ll be glad to fill you in!

CVs are available on the presenters’ individual About pages.