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RIF Impacts 800,000 Students During National Reading Month

Reading Is Fundamental launched a National Reading Month celebration filled with national and local activities to support and highlight the transformative power of reading. RIF began the month with a kick off event in partnership with the National Education Association. The March 1 event celebrated a nation of diverse readers and included a reading extravaganza led by award-winning authors Kwame Alexander, Jesse Holland and Gene Luen Yang, along with local authors. More than 350 third and fourth graders from Prince George’s County, MD participated and received free books and literacy resources to inspire the lasting impact of literacy.

RIF also encouraged students nationwide to read as many books as possible during National Reading month and log them on RIF’s interactive readerboard. More than 800,000 students across the country participated. Readers told RIF about their favorite books including Wonder, The Giving Tree and Frindle. North Larose Elementary School in Larose, LA rose to the top of the readerboard with 17,085 books read during National Reading Month.

RIF debuted a smartphone app to let literacy lovers take reading on the go. Funded by Dollar General, RIF’s Literacy Central app provides access to over 5,000 literacy resources, including engaging word games, educator guides, activities, and videos. Now parents and educators have access to Literacy Central’s trusted resources just by scanning a children’s book ISBN barcode.

National Reading Month activities were supported by RIF partners including the Department of Education and national sororities Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi who coordinated read-aloud events for children in communities across the country. Teaming up with community and corporate partners this National Reading Month helped RIF ignite a love of reading in students nationwide.