About Us
The Reading League Kentucky
The Reading League Kentucky’s goal is to support The National Reading League’s mission to advance the awareness, understanding and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction throughout the state of Kentucky. We strive to create a safe and supportive environment that will help build educators’ confidence and proficiency in all areas of literacy. We seek to provide readily accessible training, resources and support for teachers, administrators, legislators, parents and the broader educational community.
Meet Our Team
Meet Melissa Cupp
Melissa is a full-time educator with over 23 years of teaching experience. She holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Education NK-8 from Roanoke College and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in Reading Education from The University of Virginia. She holds a Literacy Specialist Endorsement for students in all grades and is trained in MARS (Multisensory Approach to Reading Success) and LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). Melissa currently teaches Kindergarten where her mission is to teach every child to become a proficient reader, including multilingual learners, students with speech and language disorders and those with dyslexia and/or other learning challenges. She is the co-founder of TRL-KY and a passionate advocate of structured literacy instruction for ALL.
Meet Amanda Berringer
This is Amanda’s 23rd year in education (special education, intervention, grades K-8). She is a passionate literacy advocate and believes all children deserve evidence aligned reading instruction. Amanda is proud of her school district’s partnership with The Reading League.
Meet Laura Holsclaw
Laura is an elementary-school teacher in Louisville, KY and has been teaching since 2006, the majority of those years in 1st grade.
Laura is a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist through CERI (Center for Effective Reading Instruction). She has completed LETRS training (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) in 2021 and is now a part-time facilitator with Elevate/GRREC.
Laura is a soon-to-be EBLI Certified Instructor (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction) and in 2022 became an Orton-Gillingham Certified Teacher through IMSE.
Laura has a special interest in the Speech-to-Print instructional approach within the Science of Reading. She also enjoys learning more about making sentence structure and paragraph structure writing more accessible to primary-aged students.
Laura is a lifelong learner, seeking to continually learn more about the Science of Reading. She enjoys reading and listening to podcasts!
Meet Adrienne Harmon
Adrienne is a full-time educator with over 22 years of teaching experience. She holds a BA in Elementary Education from Transylvania University and a MA in LBD Special Education from Georgetown College. She holds a Literacy Specialist Endorsement for students in all grades and is trained in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling). Adrienne currently teaches 1st grade in Fayette County where her mission is to teach every child to become a proficient reader, including multilingual learners, students with speech and language disorders and those with dyslexia and/or other learning challenges.
Meet Nicole Campbell
Nicole Campbell is Manager of Educational Partnerships for Collaborative Classroom covering Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. She has over 22 years in education as a classroom childcare and school age director, reading specialist and classroom ELA teacher.
Nicole has a Master’s Degree in Literacy from Xavier University with an OH Reading Specialist endoresement. Nicole has taught collegiate courses in Literacy, Phonics Reading Methods and Early Childhood; published work in The Reading Teacher journal; and presented at national conferences.
Nicole is passionate about the reciprocity that exists between reading and writing as literate processes. She advocates for students’ access to learning the craft of writing as well as the mechanics. In addition, Nicole believes strongly in the need to establish literacy as a civil right for all.
Meet Kelli McLaird
Kelli has always had a passion for reading and teaching children. She holds a BS in Education from Missouri State University and taught in various roles, including Kindergarten, Instructional Coach, and Reading Interventionist, in the public school system in St. Charles, MO, Owensboro, KY and Lexington, KY. As a native Missourian Kelli has returned back to the St. Louis area and is excited to step into her new role working for First Steps and a Special Instructor. It wasn’t until 2016 when Kelli’s passion and drive for teaching children to read the way their brain learns to read took off. She is now an advocate for ALL children to get what they need in order for their brain to read and write. Learning about dyslexia and realizing that her son had dyslexia fueled the passion to help students and educators in her various roles in the elementary school setting. She continues to seek out growing opportunities in helping students find reading and writing success.
Meet Hack Hudson
Hack Hudson is an elementary school teacher turned K-12 librarian with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Morehead State University and Master of Library Science from Eastern Kentucky University. Hack spent 20+ years in the classrooms and school libraries of Breathitt County Schools before going to work in the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Department at the district level. Hack recently joined Kentucky Department of Education’s Division of Early Literacy as a State Literacy Coaching Specialist (SLCS). His work focuses on supporting K-3 teachers in improving implementation of tier one instruction through evidence-based literacy practices and consistent, coordinated implementation of high-quality instructional resources. He is part of a team of SLCSs in southeastern Kentucky who partner with schools to lead systemic change in instruction aimed at improving literacy outcomes while advocating for instruction based on the five components of reading. He also supports teachers and administrators participating in the Kentucky Reading Academies Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) courses. Hack, who lives near Jackson. He has a daughter, Abigail Hudson, who is currently a senior at Eastern Kentucky University.
Meet Amy Bellamy
Amy has been a professional educator since 2006, serving as a teacher, District Literacy Coach, and District Curriculum Coordinator for ELA and Social Studies. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English Middle School Teacher of the Year award. She co-leads a district support program for new teachers and coordinates literacy-related professional learning across the district, including KDE’s LETRS Reading Academies and UFLI foundational literacy training. She is the district literacy grant manager and also facilitates the Curriculum Reivew and Implementation Process for ELA and Social Studies using KDE’s Curriculum Implementation Framework. She is the author of three books and is passionate about empowering teachers with the training and skills needed to help improve literacy for all students..Amy has been a professional educator since 2006, serving as a teacher, District Literacy Coach, and District Curriculum Coordinator for ELA and Social Studies. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English Middle School Teacher of the Year award. She co-leads a district support program for new teachers and coordinates literacy-related professional learning across the district, including KDE’s LETRS Reading Academies and UFLI foundational literacy training. She is the district literacy grant manager and also facilitates the Curriculum Reivew and Implementation Process for ELA and Social Studies using KDE’s Curriculum Implementation Framework. She is the author of three books and is passionate about empowering teachers with the training and skills needed to help improve literacy for all students..
Meet Laura Burns
Laura Burns is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and has practiced as a speech-language pathologist for the past 23 years. She has been employed with Warren County Public Schools since 2006. She participated in the Kentucky Advocacy Network (iKAN) for leadership and advocacy. Laura found her passion working with struggling readers and advocating for structured, evidence based literacy instruction after her youngest son was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2017. She has since been certified in Lindamood-Bell Seeing Stars Training for Phonemic Awareness, Reading, and Spelling and Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). She is also trained in Wrightslaw on Special Education Law and Procedures.
Meet Amanda Jones
Amanda Jones is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University holding a Masters Degree in Elementary Education with a Literacy Specialist endorsement. She has completed Orton-Gillingham training, LETRS training (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), and is a certified UFLI trainer. Amanda is an active teacher, serving as a Reading Interventionist and Intervention Coordinator in Kenton County. She is committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive. She works closely with teachers, students, and parents to help struggling readers achieve academic success.
Meet Kim Aguilar
Kim Aguilar has over 20 years of experience in education. She began her career as an elementary teacher. She has served as a reading interventionist, instructional coach, assistant principal and princial. She earned Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She obtained her LETRS for Educators Certification in 2024. In her current role with Great Minds, PBC she supports districts in their review, selection and implementation of high quality instructional materials.
As a parent and educator, she is passionate about literacy and building a community of awareness among stakeholders across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Meet Mary Littlepage
Mary taught kindergarten and second grade for fifteen years before she stepped out of the classroom as a teacher and into the classroom as a full time student in a PhD program. She has a masters degree from the University of Kentucky in Research Methods in Education and is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher with an emphasis in literacy. She is passionate about teaching children to read and bridging the gap between research and practice. She hopes to fulfill that value in both her own research and in her role with The Reading League Kentucky.
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