Team Read coaches are juggling a lot. Beyond their time in our program, they’re balancing schoolwork, friendships, family responsibilities, extracurriculars, and the big question of what comes next after high school. And within Team Read, the juggling continues. They’re tutors and mentors to a younger student, with several tasks that need to be accomplished within the hour of program time. Coaches quickly learn that elementary aged kids aren’t always predictable, and some days getting focused and getting the work done can be a tremendous challenge.
A common theme in feedback from our coaches is that they want to learn more hands-on techniques for working with younger students and keeping them focused on Team Read at the end of the school day. “Sometimes my reader just wants to play games or tell me about her cat,” one coach shared. “Knowing how to help her focus on reading would be really helpful.”
Thanks to a grant from the King County Best Starts for Kids initiative, we were able to bring in some experts. BELONG Partners has a mission to bring together science-based, trauma-informed, restorative, and social emotional learning practices to help build equitable communities. With their many years of experience working with educators, we knew BELONG Partners could provide invaluable support for our coaches.
“We are thrilled to partner with Team Read,” says Stacy Lappin, Director of Program at BELONG Partners. “There’s already such strong alignment between our programs and our goals for students, so it really makes sense for us to work together.”
As part of their fall training series, every Team Read coach participated in a BELONG‑led workshop focused on brain science and practical techniques for helping students regulate their bodies and minds. “Even the best interventions won’t work when the brain isn’t in thinking mode,” Stacy explains. “When you’re physically in the classroom but mentally and emotionally somewhere else, that doesn’t work. We’ve been working with coaches to use simple actions to bring that reader back to their body and back to the present moment. Taking that bit of time can make all the difference.”
A program component that has been added to the daily routine thanks to our work with BELONG Partners, is the movement minute. These creative, guided movements are a fun way for readers and coaches to connect, often sharing a laugh as they test their balance or reflexes. “A quick brain break really helps my reader,” a coach at Concord Elementary shares. “He has a lot of pent-up energy and just taking a minute to let it out makes things smoother for the second half.”
Coaches at our Renton and Tukwila sites have taken an even deeper dive, participating in in‑person workshops where BELONG facilitators observe sessions and offer tailored guidance. This hands‑on support strengthens the relationship between coaches and readers and reinforces consistent practices across program sites.
For Team Read staff, seeing the BELONG method in action has been especially rewarding. Seattle Project Coordinator Trent Haaker notes that the training has been particularly valuable for coaches who are new to working with children. “This training has really laid the groundwork for a strong relationship with the reader they work with,” he says. Trent also appreciates the continuity it brings: “BELONG Partners already works with many of the schools we’re in, so students are seeing a throughline in what support and healthy relationships look like from the school day into our after‑school program.”
We know that academics and social-emotional learning go hand-in-hand, and we’re grateful to have a community partner that brings this philosophy to life so well. The tools and techniques we’ve learned from BELONG Partners will continue to strengthen our program for years to come.