During the pandemic, physical schools and libraries closed. Without access to books and learning, many students lost months of reading skills.
That's when Worldreader jumped into action.
We expanded programming to the US, so we could keep students reading during the learning crisis.
Some of those students attend Richardson Middle School in Chicago, Illinois.
Approximately 96.1% of students at Richardson come from low-income families. That’s twice as high as the state average.
Currently, 97% of students are Hispanic, and the percentage of students learning English is 30.2%.
Following the pandemic, ELA scores at Richardson dropped significantly.
Through our work with partner, World Vision, we were able to boost these students' average daily reading times from 1 minute to 45 minutes.
That's huge.
A digital library and incentivized goal-setting gave students at Richardson the boost they needed to thrive. That’s where Worldreader’s "I’m a Superstar Reader" tracking sheet comes in.
This resource tracks students' progress, so that readers can achieve their goals and eventually earn a reward. The sheets allow students to record how many minutes they read at home, with the goal of reading 15 minutes each day on the Booksmart app.
If students reach their individualized goals, World Vision provides them with Crayola art kits and Lego gift sets.
And it’s happening at schools across the state.
Sandra Ramirez, who teaches at Richardson, has seen the improvement in her students' reading since incorporating Booksmart into the classroom.
One of Ramirez’s students recently immigrated from Mexico. Having access to books in Spanish has given her a sense of representation, while also making her and her peers feel celebrated, Ramirez said.
30.2% of students at Richardson are learning English as a second language. So having access to books in both English and Spanish is aiding comprehension.
Incentives and goal tracking have motivated readers to use BookSmart more regularly. Overall, children at Richardson have been more inclined to read in their homes and classrooms.
By supporting Worldreader, you're bringing BookSmart to students just like these across the US. Thank you.
