Program success stories
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) works closely with educators, families, literacy advocates, and corporate and foundation partners to ensure that more children in underserved communities experience the joy of reading—the pathway to becoming a skilled reader. Hear from people on the frontlines of the literacy crisis as they describe how our programs and partnerships are changing lives.
Book distribution celebration events bring the community together at Adams Elementary School in Janesville, WI through a RIF and Dollar General partnership.
For the past six years Adams Elementary School has encouraged reading for the whole family at book celebration events through the partnership with RIF and Dollar General. This year, all 273 students at the school were able to choose three books to take home and own. To engage these young readers, RIF provided a "celebration in a box" with balloons, photo props, bookmarks, stickers and more. These items helped enhance the school's literacy event implementation efforts and sparked a joy of reading in their students.
Our school poverty level continues to increase, so for many families RIF books are some of the few they have at home. Students cheer on book giveaway days. We often have friends pick the same title so they can read their books together. Families have echoed the excitement of their children when they bring home their new books.
- Kelly Stengel, Academic Learning Coach, Adams Elementary School, Janesville, WI
Benjamin Banneker Middle School in Burtonsville, MD distributes books to parents and students to encourage family reading
Celebrating the third year of its partnership with Benjamin Banneker Middle School, RIF teamed up with educators to host a dynamic book fair aimed at sparking family engagement among the school’s 800 students in grades 6-8. This exciting event is a key part of RIF's Middle School Family Literacy Initiative, strengthening the connection between families and reading to create an ongoing culture of literacy.
Choice is very important. With the experience we've had tonight with the family night and seeing parents motivated to say, 'hey, I think you might like this one,' or the kids saying, 'you know, I think I might like this one.' And the parent picking it up and say, 'I might read that one too.' It was a good culmination of the last three years working with Reading Is Fundamental, seeing how we can now really engage families more, rather than just sending home a newsletter.
- Jennefir Lamb, School Librarian & Media Specialist, Benjamin Banneker Middle School, Burtonsville, MD
RIF’s professional development team shares how to leverage its research-back reading program, Read for Success, using its educator guides, book collections, and lesson planning resources with teachers at Visitacion Valley Elementary School in San Francisco
RIF's professional development training on its Read for Success program provides tips and resources for engaging students through a combination of in-class read-alouds and independent reading. Teachers at Visitacion Valley utilize the Read for Success educator guides and collection books as ready-made lesson plans for after care teachers, substitute teachers, and teachers at the school that are able to build extra reading time into their school day.
RIF goes above and beyond to ensure that not only do our students have high interest, high quality books to read, but also that we as teachers feel supported in delivering engaging literacy instruction. We have a new reading curriculum that is not especially joyful, so having an alternate slate of lessons for teachers to use was helpful.
- Dylan Beighley, Librarian, Visitacion Valley Elementary School, San Francisco, CA
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