# @chattanooga on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DIM5XAYJvZ-
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/30517743-chattanooga-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d56e07a736.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-08T21:57:57.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Chattanooga Times Free Press (@chattanooga) — https://gondola.cc/chattanooga

## Caption

This is one of the ways Hamilton County Schools has been teaching foundational skills to some of its youngest students, and it’s been a success.

Kindergarteners who attended the district’s pre-K performed better than their peers who did not attend on the universal reading screener this school year, according to district data.

Photos and video by Robin Rudd

Photo 1 / Teacher Shaquita Ruiz helps Journi McNealy with a letter, as Denver Evans works on his project. The Times Free Press visited Shaquita Ruiz’s pre-K classroom on April 2, 2025 at Hardy Elementary. Hamilton County Schools’ pre-kindergarten program preforms better academically, regardless of demographics, than their peers who did not.

Photo 2 / A child raises his hand. The Times Free Press visited Shaquita Ruiz’s pre-K classroom on April 2, 2025 at Hardy Elementary.

#chattanooga #tennessee #nooga #mychatt #timesfreepress #local #community #prek #kindergarten #education #earlyeducation #hcde #hamiltoncounty #learn #learning

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 671
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 21

## Tags

local, earlyeducation, mychatt, kindergarten, timesfreepress, learning, education, chattanooga, nooga, hamiltoncounty, learn, tennessee, hcde, prek, community

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