Ask Rachel Johnson what keeps her up at night and she won’t hesitate: it’s the statistic that if a child isn’t on grade level in reading by the end of first grade, chances are they may never catch up. That truth drives her work as Martinsville’s Title I reading teacher.

Ask her colleague and longtime collaborator, paraprofessional Jenn Phillips, and she’ll tell you her favorite moment in the job is the exact opposite: the instant when the light bulb flicks on and a child suddenly “gets it.” Between those two poles—worry and wonder—lies the daily rhythm of Martinsville’s reading program, where Johnson, Phillips, and fellow paraprofessional Stacy Callahan form a team dedicated to helping children thrive.

Martinsville qualifies for Title I support, a federal program directed toward schools with higher percentages of low-income families. The grant funds Johnson’s position and provides for paraprofessionals like Phillips and Callahan, along with professional development and materials. In a community where tax bases can’t match suburban resources, the support is vital.

“It pays for me, and it gets a para,” Johnson explained. “We’ve even had it fund part of the librarian’s position in the past. It makes a big difference.”

But the dollars only tell part of the story. The real return on investment is seen in the confidence that blooms when students feel supported in reading.

Too often, students struggling with reading are labeled “behind.” Johnson, Phillips, and Callahan resist that framing. “We think of it as, let’s catch them up,” Phillips said. “Not that they’re so far behind, but let’s just get them to where they need to be so they can be successful.”

Johnson agreed: “We don’t want kids frustrated and shutting down. We want them engaged, feeling comfortable, even starting to love it.”

That’s why Martinsville invests in extras—everything from a decorated school bus turned “bookmobile” that hands out free books in summer, to reading carnivals where the hallways transform into Disney castles or a Polar Express train car. Hundreds of families show up for those evenings, often more than doubling the town’s student population. “Some of these kids don’t get to experience magic very often,” Johnson said. “So we bring the magic here.”

One Polar Express night brought in more than 450 people—twice the number of Martinsville Elementary’s students. Hallways were transformed into train cars, pajama-clad children clutched tickets as Santa appeared, and every child went home with a new book. “They don’t always get that kind of wonder in their lives,” Phillips reflected. “Creating it here matters.”

A Partnership That Clicks

The heart of the program is the bond between Johnson, Phillips, and Callahan. Johnson, with degrees from SIU Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois University, plus a master’s in elementary education, brings credentials and deep expertise. Phillips, who raised three daughters before stepping into education, brings creativity, warmth, and a willingness to meet kids right where they are. Callahan adds steady support in the classroom, strengthening the one-on-one and small-group instruction that is so critical to Title I success.

“Rachel’s the brains, I’m the brawn,” Phillips joked. “Jenn’s good at everything she touches.”

Their friendship and teamwork have grown from a rocky start—Phillips once thought she’d broken Johnson’s beloved ancient Swingline stapler on her first day, and panicked enough to take it home for repairs—to a steady partnership that feels more like family. She even dashes across the room during our interview to retrieve the repaired stapler, holding it like an Indiana Jones artifact. “She’s my right-hand person,” Johnson said. “I can’t imagine doing this without her.” 

Callahan, too, is part of that family circle, an essential presence even if she couldn’t be in the room for this particular conversation.

Together, the three insist that reading instruction is only half the battle. Building trust with students is equally important. “If they know you care about them, they’ll try that much harder,” Johnson explained. “A lot of kids don’t get positive attention anywhere else.”

Phillips put it simply: “Teaching kids to read changes their whole life.”

They see it in the little moments: a child who never picked up a book before suddenly hooked on a series; a reluctant reader who lights up when the story finally makes sense. “It’s that ‘aha’ moment,” Phillips said. “That’s why we do this.”

And it’s not just the children who benefit. Parents are drawn in through the big reading nights, siblings trade books back and forth, and the whole community feels the ripple. “The people here make it special,” Johnson said. “I could probably find a job closer to home, but I can’t imagine leaving this place.”

A Culture of Reading

Whether through daily small groups, schoolwide writing projects, or those magical themed nights, Johnson, Phillips, and Callahan are clear about their purpose: to create lifelong readers.

“Getting a kid hooked on a series can change everything,” Johnson noted. “Suddenly they don’t just read because they have to—they read because they want to.”

Phillips sees the long arc. “The love for reading doesn’t go away,” she said, pointing to her own grown daughters who still trade books with each other. “It stays with them, and that’s what we want for every Martinsville kid.”

That ripple reaches beyond the walls of the school. Johnson’s own twins, now in fourth grade, are part of that story, as are Phillips’ grown daughters, who still share books and recommendations. “It doesn’t stop when you graduate,” Phillips said. “Reading follows you.”

Rooted in a Love for Martinsville

Perhaps the most telling sign of their impact is how the team speaks of Martinsville itself. Phillips, originally from Sheldon, Illinois, has lived here for more than 20 years and raised her family here. Johnson makes the commute from Mattoon, 45 minutes each way, just to be part of this community. And Callahan, too, has tied her career to the district, pouring her time and energy into Martinsville’s children.

Martinsville may not have the tax base of larger districts, but it has something else: educators who pour themselves into students, colleagues who laugh and cry together, and a community willing to show up for Polar Express nights and bookmobiles. “Everybody here is like family,” Johnson said. “That’s why it works.”

And so, between the worry that some children might fall behind and the wonder of watching them catch up, Martinsville’s students are surrounded by care, skill, and just enough magic to make reading come alive.