Building Stronger Readers, Families, and Communities
Evidence-Based Literacy Support Where Families Already Gather
Read to Rise Literacy Intervention brings practical, research-informed reading support into libraries and community spaces so families can better understand reading development, recognize signs of difficulty, and confidently support children at home.
Through our Family Literacy Series, Read to Rise partners with libraries to provide engaging workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on learning experiences for parents, caregivers, and children.
About Read to Rise
Read to Rise Literacy Intervention is a community-focused literacy initiative designed to expand access to structured reading support for students and families.
The program is fiscally sponsored by ADW Foundation Inc. and works alongside libraries, schools, educators, and community organizations to address reading challenges before they become long-term barriers.
Our work is grounded in:
- The Science of Reading
- Structured literacy principles
- Family education
- Early identification
- Evidence-based intervention
- Community partnership
- Measurable student and family outcomes
Read to Rise serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade while also equipping the adults who support them.
Read to Rise Family Literacy Series
Practical Literacy Education for the Entire Family
The Read to Rise Family Literacy Series is designed for libraries seeking meaningful, accessible programming that strengthens family engagement and supports children’s reading development.
Each session helps families better understand how children learn to read and gives caregivers strategies they can begin using immediately.
What Families Learn
Depending on the needs of the library and community, sessions may include:
Understanding How Children Learn to Read
Families learn the foundational skills that support successful reading development, including phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Recognizing Signs of Reading Difficulty
Caregivers learn how to identify common signs of dyslexia and other reading challenges across different age groups.
Reading With a Child Effectively
Families receive practical instruction on how to read with children in ways that build language, comprehension, confidence, and enjoyment.
Supporting Reading at Home
Parents and caregivers leave with routines, activities, and strategies that can be used without expensive materials or specialized training.
Navigating Dyslexia Support
Families gain a clearer understanding of intervention, evaluations, school-based support, and questions they may need to ask educators or service providers. For deep specialized therapy, check out our customized options at Read With Kourtni.
Building Reading Confidence
Sessions help families understand the emotional impact of reading difficulty and how to encourage children without increasing frustration or anxiety.
More Than a Workshop
A Community Literacy Support System
Read to Rise is designed to move beyond one-time presentations. Our long-term vision is to help libraries become trusted entry points for families who need literacy information, guidance, and connections to appropriate resources.
Libraries are uniquely positioned to serve this role because they are:
- Accessible to families
- Embedded within communities
- Trusted sources of information
- Experienced in family engagement
- Equipped to support learning outside of school
- Positioned to reach families who may not know where else to begin
Through Read to Rise, libraries can expand their literacy programming while offering families clear and credible pathways to support.
Program Formats
Family Literacy Workshops
Interactive sessions that introduce families to reading development, dyslexia awareness, and practical at-home strategies.
Learn How to Read With Your Child Series
A guided series that teaches parents and caregivers how to read aloud, ask effective questions, support decoding, build comprehension, and create positive reading routines.
Dyslexia Awareness Series
Focused sessions that help families understand dyslexia, identify common warning signs, and learn what effective intervention should include.
Parent and Caregiver Coaching
Small-group sessions that allow families to ask questions and receive more individualized literacy guidance.
Child and Family Practice Sessions
Facilitated experiences where caregivers practice literacy strategies directly with children.
Library Staff Training
Professional learning that helps library staff respond to common family questions, recognize potential reading concerns, and confidently connect patrons to trusted resources.
Community Literacy Events
Larger events that may include demonstrations, literacy activities, screenings, resource tables, speakers, and partner organizations.
Designed for Family Place Libraries
The Read to Rise Family Literacy Series is especially well suited for Family Place Libraries and other library systems focused on early learning, caregiver education, family engagement, and community-based support.
Programming can be customized to complement existing early literacy services while adding specialized content related to:
Read to Rise can work with library leadership to determine the most appropriate format, audience size, session schedule, and branch locations.
A Pilot Designed to Grow
From One Library Series to a Scalable Community Model
Read to Rise plans to begin with a focused pilot that allows participating libraries to evaluate family interest, attendance, engagement, and learning outcomes. The pilot can then be expanded based on results.
Pilot Program
Launch the Family Literacy Series at selected library locations. The pilot may include: Family workshops, Dyslexia education, Reading demonstrations, Caregiver practice activities, Participant surveys, Attendance tracking, and Pre- and post-session feedback.
Multi-Branch Expansion
Use pilot outcomes to expand programming across additional branches. This phase may include: Standardized session materials, Consistent facilitator guides, Expanded scheduling, Targeted outreach to underserved communities, Language-access adaptations, and Branch-specific family engagement strategies.
Library System Partnership
Develop a repeatable literacy partnership that can operate across an entire library system. Potential components include: Annual family literacy programming, Library staff professional development, Community literacy campaigns, Parent resource toolkits, Referral pathways, Shared impact reporting, and Sponsorship and grant collaboration.
Replication Across Communities
Adapt the model for libraries, schools, churches, community centers, and family-serving organizations throughout Texas and beyond.
Future Expansion Plans
Read to Rise is building toward a broader literacy-access model that may include:
- Facilitator Training: Train qualified educators, library staff, and community partners to deliver selected Read to Rise family literacy modules with consistency and quality.
- Family Literacy Toolkits: Provide families with practical guides, activity cards, reading routines, and home-based literacy resources.
- Digital Family Learning: Develop online modules, videos, and interactive tools that families can access between sessions.
- Literacy Resource Navigation: Help families understand the differences among screening, evaluation, tutoring, intervention, and dyslexia therapy so they can pursue appropriate support.
- Multilingual Family Support: Adapt parent education and family literacy resources for multilingual communities.
- Student Intervention Pathways: Create connections between family education, early identification, screening resources, and evidence-based reading intervention.
- Community Data and Impact Reporting: Help partner organizations document attendance, family learning, community needs, referrals, and program outcomes.
- Grant-Funded Expansion: Work with libraries and community partners to pursue funding that expands access to families who may otherwise be unable to obtain specialized literacy support.
What Library Partners Receive
Read to Rise can provide:
- Program planning and consultation
- Customized session topics
- Professional facilitators
- Family-facing presentation materials
- Hands-on literacy activities
- Digital or printed resources
- Registration recommendations
- Attendance-capacity planning
- Marketing language
- Parent surveys
- Outcome measurement tools
- Post-program reporting
- Recommendations for expansion
Program scope can be adjusted based on the number of branches, expected attendance, session length, delivery format, and community goals.
Measuring Impact
Read to Rise believes effective community programming should produce more than attendance numbers. Depending on the partnership, evaluation may include:
- Number of families served
- Number of children represented
- Repeat attendance
- Caregiver knowledge gained
- Increased confidence supporting reading at home
- Increased understanding of dyslexia
- Family use of recommended reading strategies
- Referrals to literacy resources
- Library engagement after the series
- Requests for continued programming
This information can support program improvement, community reporting, sponsorship requests, and future grant applications.
Why Partner With Read to Rise?
Read to Rise combines professional literacy expertise with a practical understanding of what families need.
Our programming is:
Read to Rise does not simply explain reading challenges. We help families understand what to do next.
Who We Serve
Parents and caregivers • Preschool families • Elementary students • Middle and high school families • Families of children with dyslexia • Families concerned about reading development • Homeschool communities • Multilingual families • Educators • Library staff • Community organizations
No formal diagnosis is required for a family to benefit from the educational series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Family Literacy Series only for children with dyslexia?
No. The series supports all families who want to better understand reading development. Dyslexia-focused sessions can be added based on community needs.
Can the program be offered at more than one library branch?
Yes. Read to Rise can support a single-location pilot, multiple branches, or a larger systemwide rollout.
Are sessions for parents or children?
Programs may be designed for caregivers, children, or families learning together. The format is customized to the library’s goals.
Can Read to Rise train library staff?
Yes. Staff training can be included to strengthen literacy knowledge, family communication, and resource navigation.
Are virtual sessions available?
Yes. Programming may be delivered virtually, in person, or through a hybrid model depending on the partnership.
Can the series be funded through grants or sponsorships?
Yes. Read to Rise is open to working with libraries, foundations, corporations, and community partners to pursue funding for expanded access.
How many people can attend?
Attendance capacity depends on the session format. Interactive family sessions may be capped to preserve participation quality, while educational presentations can accommodate larger groups.