Ever since Kristi was pursuing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Indiana University – East, she has been driven by learning and professional growth. This was evident when she became certified in the Literacy Collaborative and Reading Recovery programs and when she took on the role of her school’s first-ever literacy coach.

After Kristi had the taste of success that came from working alongside other teachers in a coaching relationship, she knew that she had discovered her true calling.

Now, as a full-time literacy consultant with Smekens Education, Kristi provides professional development for teachers in both reading and writing. She has utilized her unique expertise in reading to write two popular original resources: the “Launching the Reading Block,” and the “Teaching & Prompting Guide for Reader Behaviors and Reading Strategies.”

She and her husband, Jim, live in Cambridge City, IN and have two adult children, a pack of dogs, and a houseboat that provides a respite from reality during the warm summer months.