FAQ

The Always Reading program is a family engagement program focused on literacy. Our Book Coaches provide consistent and inclusive support for families learning to read with their child and help them develop early literacy skills. Our program partners directly with schools, and Book Coaches collaborate with Transitional Kindergarten, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten teachers to connect with families. We provide each family with a tablet, access to a high-quality digital children’s library, and a data connection, if needed. Throughout the school year, Book Coaches teach families to use the tablet, and stay connected via text with encouragement, strategies, and accountability. The tablet collects reading data for the student, which our Book Coaches provide to their teachers, to work in collaboration to support families and students in developing early literacy skills, engagement in learning, and a love of reading.

Always Dream partners with opportunity-rich Title 1 elementary schools across the San Francisco Bay Area of California and the state of Hawaiʻi. We specifically support Pre-K, TK, and Kindergarten classrooms within our partner schools to provide a tablet, digital library, and the support of a Book Coach for each student and family. 

Always Dream works with schools and districts to determine future partnerships. We are expanding our reach and currently have a waitlist of schools that are interested in our program. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept any unsolicited school partnership requests. 

Starting in 1996, the Always Dream Foundation made grants to support a variety of children’s causes, focusing on early literacy in 2011. In 2018, we made the decision to become a direct service provider with our Always Reading program. In 2020, we dropped the word “Foundation” from our name and became Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream.