Missoula Reads Coalition
Mission
Missoula Reads is a community coalition that works to strengthen literacy skills and enrich the literacy lives of Missoula County residents by coordinating and improving literacy-focused work within and across sectors in our community.
Our Approach
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Gathering as a Coalition – Partners meet regularly to examine literacy data and identify needs.
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Amplifying Community Work – Members share, celebrate, and elevate literacy-focused efforts already happening in Missoula.
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Collaborating on Projects – Together, the coalition designs and implements initiatives that support literacy development for all ages.
Vision
Missoula is a community of knowledgeable, skillful, and engaged communicators.
Quarterly Meetings
Next meeting date: January 21, 2026
Time: 2 to 3 pm
Location: Missoula Public Library
UPCOMING EVENTS
Come to the Early Childhood Education Summit!
In lieu of our April coalition meeting, Missoula Reads members are encouraged to attend at least one session at the University of Montana Early Childhood Education Summit (April 16–18). This gathering offers a meaningful opportunity to connect with colleagues, learn from educators and researchers, and engage in shared conversations about early learning in our region. See you there!
Community Event: Parents-as-Teachers Roll & Read
Missoula Public Health will host the annual Parents-as-Teachers Roll & Read Event, bringing families with young children together for a morning of play, learning, and connection.
Designed for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers, the event highlights the importance of early literacy, parent-child interaction, and family well-being. Families can explore a variety of activity stations featuring read-alouds, movement and play, nutrition, and connections to local community resources. Participants are invited to move freely through the event, engaging in activities, enjoying snacks, and connecting with others.
📍 McCormick Park
📅 Saturday, April 18
🕚 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (setup begins at 10:00 a.m.)
NEWS
Friends of the Children Western Montana Reading Challenge
Missoula Reads is excited to welcome our newest partner, Friends of the Children -- Western Montana, a nonprofit that provides long-term, relationship-based mentoring to support children and families facing significant challenges. The FoCWM team recently launched a month-long reading challenge to build joyful, consistent reading habits.
The initiative kicked off with a community event at their clubhouse, featuring the bookmobile, a story walk, and games to spark excitement around reading. Over the month, children engaged in daily reading, building momentum and confidence. The program culminated on March 31 with a celebration recognizing students’ efforts, including prizes and a family literacy workshop led by UM literacy education faculty.
Members of the Missoula Reads Coalition supported this work by advising on the reading challenge, contributing to the family literacy workshop, and partnering with the organization to strengthen its early literacy programming moving forward.
Hellgate Elementary Brings Community Together Through One Book, One Read
Hellgate Elementary School recently hosted its annual One Book, One Read event, inviting students and families to come together around a shared literacy experience. This year's selection, A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry, provided a powerful anchor for conversation, connection, and engagement across the school community.
The event culminated in a special author visit and family fun night on March 12, offering families an opportunity to celebrate reading together while deepening their connection to the story and to one another.
Current Collaborative Focal Project
Through a collaboration with the Missoula Reads Coalition, Project ELLO is expanding locally with hELLO Missoula. This extension highlights local spaces and places where families with young children can engage in language-rich experiences.
MR Member Spotlight:
Celebrating Literacy Leaders
Missoula Reads is proud to spotlight coalition member Melissa Lynn, whose deep commitment to early literacy has been shaped over 17 years in the first-grade classroom. Her perspective has grown through lived experience, engagement with ongoing conversations around the “reading wars,” and continued professional learning about how the brain develops as children learn to read.
At the heart of Melissa’s work is a strong belief that the choices adults make—through instruction, relationships, and systems—can meaningfully shape the trajectory of a child’s life.
As Barbara Frank from Missoula County Public Schools shares:
“Melissa is an expert in early intervention and high-impact instruction. She has been integral to the success of the MCPS Trailblazers program, and her colleagues deeply respect her knowledge. Every student who has had her as a teacher is better for it.”
Thank you, Melissa, for the care, expertise, and leadership you bring to literacy learning for Missoula’s youngest public school students!
Literacy Events Calendar:
If you would like to add something to the MR Coalition calendar or if you would like support with a current literacy effort, please contact Angela Kneiper asknieper@mcpsmt.org or Kate Brayko kate.brayko@umontana.edu