Our impact
Literacy is the key to learning, yet too many students lack the fundamental skills to fuel their academic growth.
Meeting the need
The reality is that more students are falling behind, especially in communities where there are already pre-existing opportunity gaps. We know the pandemic has exacerbated the learning loss. Yet the solution is within reach — research shows that tutoring and mentoring programs bridge the learning-loss gap. Our program and model are squarely positioned to meet this challenge.
Focused on student outcomes
Research has proven that structured mentoring relationships with elementary school students, such as those at Literations, have long-lasting impact. A 2020 independent evaluation of the Literations program conducted by Abt Associates concluded that our students demonstrate significant improvements in reading performance and motivation to succeed.
The many positive results of our model include:
Increased fluency
Increased comprehension
Improved oral language development
Expanded vocabulary
Increased confidence
Increased desire to learn
Literations achieves results
Differentiated instruction
Teachers often cannot allocate time to helping individual students with their oral reading skills due to the demands of a classroom setting. Our model solves this problem by providing students who require additional help with the extra 1:1 time they need to succeed.
Frequency
Twice-weekly sessions are personalized to student needs. The presence of an experienced coach and a mentor allows for adapting our structured model to individual learning differences.
Partnership with teachers
Teachers are involved in our selection process because they have valuable knowledge about their students to identify who can benefit most from our program.
Training and consistency
Our dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers have all completed the training necessary to ensure that they have the tools and qualities to make a measurable difference.
Proven curriculum
We utilize a structured curriculum, Reading A-Z, implemented by schools nationwide to provide leveled reading support to address student needs.
Relationship-focused
Our emphasis on the strong mentoring relationships formed between volunteer coaches and students plays a crucial role in their overall academic and interpersonal success.
In their own words
Impacting children's literacy development demands more than a well-intentioned effort; it takes a commitment to strategic analysis, a dedication to refinement and improvement, and an unwavering willingness to stop what's not working. Literations does just that. They hold themselves accountable to the highest standards and a cycle of continuous improvement to ensure their programs result in their intended outcomes, both for the engaged volunteers and for those children they support.”
— Kelly Kulsrud, Executive Director, Lectio Institute