Mission
DREAMS KC equips parents to teach their children to read—building confident, competent readers and expanding access to opportunity through literacy.
Vision
We envision a world where every child reads with confidence, every parent is equipped to lead their child’s literacy journey, and communities are transformed through the power of literacy as a pathway to freedom, opportunity, and generational change.
Why this work matters…
Too many children are struggling to read—and the consequences extend far beyond the classroom. Literacy is the foundation for learning, confidence, and long-term opportunity. Yet, for many families, especially in underserved communities, access to effective reading instruction remains inconsistent or unclear.
When a child cannot read proficiently, it impacts every subject in school. Over time, it can affect self-esteem, limit academic progress, and reduce access to future opportunities. Literacy is not just an academic skill—it is directly tied to economic mobility, emotional well-being, and the ability to fully participate in society.
Schools play an important role, but they cannot do this work alone. Parents are a child’s first and most consistent teachers, yet many have never been shown how to teach reading in a way that aligns with how the brain learns. Without that knowledge, families are often left to figure it out on their own.
At DREAMS KC, we believe the solution begins at home. When parents are equipped with the right tools, strategies, and support, they become powerful drivers of their child’s literacy success. This work is about more than reading—it’s about building confident learners, strengthening families, and creating new pathways to opportunity.
Learn more about the work fo DREAMS KC.
The DREAMS KC Approach. Parent Powered Literacy That Starts At Home.
1. Equip the Parent
We provide parents with clear, research-based training grounded in the Science of Reading, helping them understand how children learn to read and how to teach those skills effectively.
2. Activate the Home
We support families in turning everyday moments into meaningful literacy experiences. Parents learn how to practice decoding, build fluency, and reinforce skills in ways that are practical, consistent, and effective.
3. Strengthen the Child
As parents become more confident, children build strong foundational literacy skills, develop independence as readers, and gain the confidence needed to succeed in school and beyond.
At DREAMS KC, we take a different approach to literacy. We center parents as the primary drivers of their child’s reading success, equipping them with the knowledge, tools, and support to teach foundational skills at home.
Why This Approach Works
Traditional models often place the full responsibility on schools. We believe lasting change happens when learning continues at home. By equipping parents—not just supporting students—we create a consistent, reinforcing environment where children can thrive as readers.
Catina Taylor is the Founder of DREAMS KC and a literacy advocate committed to helping families build strong readers from the ground up.
After years of working within the education system, Catina saw firsthand that too many children were not receiving the foundational literacy skills they needed to succeed. She also recognized a critical gap—parents were rarely given the tools or training to effectively support their children’s reading development at home.
That realization led to the creation of DREAMS KC.
Catina believes that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. When equipped with the right knowledge and strategies, families can play a powerful role in shaping confident, capable readers.
Through DREAMS KC, she is working to ensure that more children gain access to opportunity through literacy—one family at a time.
Meet Our Founder
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Founder & CEO
Catina is also a speaker, author, and community leader focused on advancing literacy and educational equity.
Asa certified teacher, Catina spent 15 years in middle school, elementary, and high school classrooms as a teacher. She has worked in traditional public schools, charters, and private schools.