Grades 5 to 8
Knowledge Keepers
Knowledge Keepers teaches reading and writing to Memphis students in grades 5 to 8, especially those reading below grade level. We teach in schools and after-school programs, and families can book one-on-one tutoring.
What a session looks like
Small groups, real books, and lessons that connect reading to Memphis history and everyday life.
After school, the lessons keep going
- Hands-on projects
- Art
- STEM activities
- Creative writing
- Group discussion
- Public speaking
- Field trips
Where it runs
Knowledge Keepers started as a once-a-week group of six students at Germantown Middle.
Grahamwood ElementaryAfter-school program for fifth graders, built on Memphis Made.
Raleigh-Egypt MiddleReading and writing instruction for middle grade students.
Germantown MiddleWhere it all started.
Memphis Made
Read it. Write it. Experience it.
Our own literacy curriculum and workbook. Students read about the people, neighborhoods and movements that shaped their city, then write about what they learned and why it still matters.
Then they go see it. Memphis Made Literacy Experiences take students to the historic and cultural sites they've been reading about.
Inside the workbook
- Early MemphisThe city's origins and the people who shaped it
- Orange MoundOne of America's earliest African American communities built for homeownership
- Ida B. WellsJournalism, truth-telling and the power of the written word
- Jim Crow and the Memphis 13The young people who integrated Memphis schools
- The Sanitation Workers' StrikeWorkers' rights, Dr. King and the fight for dignity
- Beale Street and the BluesThe sound of Memphis and its reach
- Black Influence and MediaStorytelling, representation and the press
- Black Excellence and LegacyMemphis leaders, and what the next generation carries forward
Written for grades 6 to 8 and adapted for fifth graders at Grahamwood. Pairs with LOUD THOUGHTS, our journal for creative writing and social-emotional learning.
Memphis Made Literacy Experiences
Students read about a piece of Memphis history, then stand where it happened.
An optional add-on for local tutoring students, homeschool students and curious learners in grades 5 to 8. Details come with registration.
Children shouldn't have to wait until adulthood to discover the history of their own communities.
Carla Fields-Richardson, founder
Literacy tutoring
Individual and small-group reading and ELA tutoring for students in grades 5 to 8 who need extra support, a challenge, or a confidence boost. All sessions are by appointment.
Every session is led by Mrs. Richardson, a licensed 6 to 12 English teacher, and planned around your child's strengths, needs and goals. It's instruction, not homework help.
Sessions can cover reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary, grammar, citing text evidence and critical thinking, using books and stories your child can see themselves in.
- Session60 minutes, individual or small group
- DaytimeMonday to Thursday, in person or virtual. A good fit for homeschool students and flexible schedules.
- After schoolIn person Monday and Wednesday at Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry, 2175 Business Center Drive, Suite 5A, Memphis, TN 38134
- VirtualAvailable anywhere, daytime plus select after-school and evening times
Enroll in tutoring
Enrollment is confirmed once a time is available and the tutoring agreement is signed.
Ask about ratesBring Knowledge Keepers to your students.
Tell us about your school or program and the grades you serve, ideally 6 to 8 weeks ahead. Mrs. Richardson will follow up to plan it with you.