More than 8,000 minutes of reading on tap for Houston’s biggest day of reading
HOUSTON, TX—January 30, 2024—Literacy Now will host its fourth annual Houston Reads Day on Friday, March 1, 2024, with approximately 375 volunteers coming together to support and read to more than 14,000 Pre-K–3rd grade students at 42 Houston area elementary schools. This single-day event is for Houstonians to come together to read to students, support Literacy Now’s critical Reading Intervention program, and bring awareness to the literacy crisis in our city. Cunningham Elementary School will serve as the “hub” for Houston Reads Day and feature special guest readers from the community including: Lesley Briones, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner; Jerry Davis, Literacy Now (formerly Making It Better) Founder; Texas Tamales mascot, Tex; plus, Houston City Council Member for District G, Mary Nan Huffman (at Walnut Bend Elementary School) and Houston City Council Member for District F, Tiffany D. Thomas (at Piney Point Elementary School). Major event sponsors include Castex Foundation and Phillips66.
This year’s event will feature books by local Houston children’s authors. Some lucky students will have the opportunity to meet the authors as they read to select classrooms.
- Pre-K: Spencer Knows Spring by Tiffany Obeng
- Kinder: Ava and the Prince by Joy Sewing
- 1st grade: The Yellow Butterfly by Mehrnaz S. Gill
- 2nd grade: Yasmin the Friend by Saadia Faruqi
- 3rd grade: Shiver by Melissa Williams
Houston, we have a crisis – Right now, ONLY 27% of Houston area 3rd graders are reading on grade level. Research shows the correlation between reading difficulties and a variety of adverse outcomes, including serious behavior problems, joblessness, crime, and homelessness. While Literacy Now has made great strides in meeting the needs of young readers in the Houston area, their work is far from complete. Although the organization has increased the number of students served in their Reading Intervention program by an incredible 176% in the past three years, they are currently serving less than 23% of Houston area children that desperately need this critical program.
“Over the past three years, Houston Reads Day has been the catalyst in raising more than $2.1M so that we can support struggling young readers throughout our city,” said Jacque Daughtry, CEO of Literacy Now. “It also provides a great opportunity for students and adults to engage with each other and celebrate the magic of reading.”
Here are ways you can engage, impact, and empower children to read:
- Sign up to be a volunteer reader for Houston Reads Day com/5098265
- The deadline to register as a volunteer reader is 2/19/2024
- Join the Leaders for Readers Donation Match Challenge. Double your IMPACT by Donating Today! Deepak Manoharan, Literacy Now Board Chair and Jacque Daughtry, Literacy Now CEO, have issued a call for the public to support Houston Reads Day. For every dollar donated, they will personally match it up to $10,000! With link: HRD2024 | Powered By GiveSmart
- If you are not able to read to the students, we encourage everyone to join the fun on March 1 by reading to a child in their life for just 15 minutes.
- Share photos of your reading session on social media using the hashtag #HoustonReadsDay to help spread awareness about Houston Reads Day and the literacy crisis in our city.
Beyond Houston Reads Day, Literacy Now recommends the following family-friendly activities geared towards helping children build their reading skills and confidence outside of the classroom including reading aloud for 15-minutes each day, practicing the alphabet a couple of times a week, and visiting Literacy Now’s Family Resources page for tips and helpful information.
For Houston Reads Day images, click here.
For more information on Literacy Now’s year-round programs and ongoing efforts, visit literacynowhouston.org/.
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About Literacy Now
Literacy Now is a non-profit organization empowering children and families through literacy and life skills. The organization provides reading readiness and reading intervention programs, interactive parent engagement, as well as trained volunteers for the Lunch Bunch mentoring program – elements that contribute to children’s long-term success. Literacy Now supports children and their families, by working in Houston area Title 1 schools and on community sites throughout the city to bring these critical services directly to those in need. Their primary goal is to empower students to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade thereby making it much more likely they will remain on track to graduate from high school and be ready to pursue their postsecondary goals.
