Our Program

Kids Celebration

4X

Children not reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.

6 out of 10

low-income students have no books in their homes.

 

78%

of low-income fourth graders read below grade level

 

Always Reading School Year Model

 

APPROACH TO IMPACT

 

The Always Reading Program provides families a digital tablet and a curated library of high-quality, age appropriate books for Kindergartners.

 

A Book Coach supports families and teachers to encourage parent engagement and promote the development of at-home reading routines.

 

ORIENTATION

Families receive tablet, as well as training on use of tablet and developing reading routines.

ACCESS TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

Families access library of books, curated in alignment with Always Reading curriculum.

PARENT EDUCATION & SUPPORT

Families receive additional training and weekly text messages with read-aloud strategies. Book Coach available for ongoing support.

GRADUATION

Program ends with graduation and gift of hard-copy books.

Our Theory of Change

What We Do

By providing families with access to high quality books and education on literacy strategies, Always Reading ...

Participant Outcomes

Increase Parent/Caregiver Knowledge of Family Reading
  • Understanding the power of family reading
  • Knowledge of readaloud strategies
  • See themselves as critical components in establishing child's reading routines
Increase Family Engagement with Books
  • Parents/caregivers find it easier to engage with their child in reading
  • Families spend more time reading-aloud
  • Children show greater interest in reading

Impact

 

Children have increased access to high quality books and shared reading  practices to foster their literacy development, reading proficiency, and success in and out of school.

Community Outcomes

Increased reading achievement levels in the schools and districts that Always Reading serves.

What We Do

Always Reading has three pillars that support kindergarten students at home by giving families an entire library of books at their fingertips and provides family engagement resources for caregivers to read with their children.

High-Quality Books

  • Families get access to high quality books in the home environment through a digital library application
  • Special curated book collections with the library align to the Always Reading curriculum
  • Families receive traditional books to keep at various points throughout the program.

21st Century Technology

  • A digital tablet is loaned to each student for the school year, for one-to-one access to reading technology and the digital library.
  • Digital library application captures student adoption including books, pages and minutes read.
  • Internet access via a mobile data plan is provided to every student who needs it.

Family Engagement

  • A "Book Coach" works directly with families and teachers to actively support families to build their skills.
  • Parents receive training in book sharing strategies, the tablet and the library application.
  • Text messages offering reading tips and early literacy best practices are sent to families three times a week.

Where We Serve

 

Always Reading serves low-income families in California and Hawai'i by partnering with high-need schools.

CALIFORNIA

69%

Fourth graders who are not reading proficiently

#46

Ranking among all states for reading proficiency.

HAWAII

68%

Fourth graders who are not reading proficiently

#43

Ranking among all states for reading proficiency.

kidsRead

"Parents understand the importance of literacy, and having literacy resources in the home environment is so important. Always Reading provides a home library that actively engages our families and empowers our parents by providing literacy tools that promote daily reading. This is a core foundation of literacy proficiency and growth."

Desirée Miles, Principal, Allendale Elementary School

"...it's brought our family together for reading and integrating in to in our daily routine. What I really loved about having the tablet and being part of this program is that it made us schedule and make time for things like this. "

Always Reading Parent

"We are thrilled to have a 100% opt-in rate among our families, which shows they truly value this program. For many of our students it's their very first digital tablet and I know they appreciate having so many high-quality books at their fingertips. They are motivated to read because the books are varied and address topics of high interest to them.

Micaela, Kindergarten Teacher, Oakland CA