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Reading Is Fundamental Highlights Best Practices for Reaching Children with Special Educational Needs
WASHINGTON—Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF®), the nation’s oldest and largest children’s and family literacy organization, has released a nationally distributed brochure highlighting six innovative RIF programs. RIF selected each featured program because it was deemed exemplary in reaching special populations, including migrants, teen parents, incarcerated youths, homeless children, or others with specific educational needs.
“These programs exemplify the very best of what we do,” said Carol H. Rasco, RIF president and CEO. “Through them—and programs like them—RIF is able to use its grant from the U.S. Department of Education to serve the special populations that most need books and literacy resources.”
The brochure includes information about the following six RIF programs:
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At the Louisville (Ky.) State Agency Children’s Program, RIF coordinators engage local radio, TV, and newspaper celebrities to promote literacy and reading to the agency’s emotionally disturbed, abused, neglected, homeless, and delinquent children.
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Through the Lewis-Clark State College Family Education RIF program in Lewiston, Idaho, which operates in correctional facilities, a homeless shelter, and early childhood centers, parents learn to promote their children’s emergent literacy skills.
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In rural and isolated parts of Alaska, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development RIF program brings books and motivational activities to more than 6,000 migrant children.
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Teen moms and dads in the Parents As Teachers RIF program in Gallup, N.M., learn about child development and how to use books to build a healthy relationship with their child. The program follows RIF’s Shared Beginnings® model, a program designed specifically for teen parents and their babies.
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The district-wide literacy initiative in Bridgeport, Conn., is a community effort among 18,000 students, their parents, community volunteers, the superintendent, and even the mayor. The RIF coordinator there reports that reading scores have been on the rise since the program’s inception.
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As a nonprofit agency, ESI Connections in Richmond, Va., demonstrates to the homeless families it serves that reading and literacy events can promote family bonding. Through puppet storytelling, family reading time, and other literacy activities, the program promotes literacy and a sense of well being.
RIF created the brochure in partnership with the Department of Education to generate awareness about the ways RIF programs work. For copies of the brochure, contact RIF at 877-RIF-READ (877-743-7323).
Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.6 million children with 15 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information and to access reading resources, visit RIF’s website at www.rif.org.
Discover the Joy!
For more information, contact:
Layla Wright-Contreras,
Media Relations Manager
202-536-3528
lwright@rif.org
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