Resolving the Literacy Crisis
About READ USA
READ USA has demonstrated that illiteracy is solvable with high-interest books and high-quality teaching.
Starting in Duval County’s most under-resourced communities, the multi-faceted model READ USA created is resolving the nation’s literacy crisis by transforming teens and elementary students into proficient, passionate readers and lifelong learners through a high achievement outcomes model.
From research-backed evidence and best practices, READ USA has formulated programming that is transformational not only for one child, teenager, or teacher, but for a community and education system as a whole.
.png)


High-Quality Teaching
READ USA’s research-backed Literacy Tutoring intervention trains and employs teenagers mostly from under-resourced communities to provide daily, intensive, one-to-one tutoring to elementary students from those same communities. As verified by evaluators from The Ohio State University, this unique intervention produces an average of one year’s growth in reading proficiency in as few as 12 weeks for both elementary students and teens. This bi-directional learning was intentional to elevate both populations’ literacy skills, while providing valuable workforce development skills to tutors.
READ USA’s Professional Development for Educators provides teachers and instructors with the additional training, tools, and resources they need to further move the needle on literacy in the classroom. READ USA provides this training for free to educators at various opportunities throughout the year.
High-Interest Books
Every year, READ USA brings free Book Fairs to elementary schools, providing every student the opportunity to choose their own free books to keep. READ USA’s foundational concept is that Book Choice and Ownership are essential to creating a joy and passion for reading and enables students to explore and choose titles and topics that interest them most.
READ USA also publishes a monthly children’s book series featuring fictional character Jeremy, who tells the personal stories of local community leaders.
