National Reading Month has arrived! As a children’s literacy nonprofit organization, the month of March is our opportunity to shine a spotlight on reading. We foster the joy of reading, the power of books and a culture of literacy every day of the year. But in March, we shout it from the rooftops even a little louder while there’s extra emphasis and focus on our cause.

RIF exists because 25 million children in the U.S. cannot read at the proficient level. And we exist to encourage a love of reading, ensuring access to books and quality literacy resources for children across the country, especially those most in need. Our message to you this month is simple: make reading and books a valued and special part of children’s everyday life to help foster their reading skills. And, RIF has a host of resources to help you do so. Visit our National Reading Month page at RIF.org/NRM to sign up for daily tips by text, read-aloud resources, daily book bites, social media fun and more! We wish you a month (and year) full of happy reading.

I would be remiss to celebrate all things reading this month without recognizing the great turmoil occurring in our education system in light of the pandemic. We know that the interruptions and challenges in learning this past year will have far-reaching implications, particularly for minority and low-income students. To gain deeper insight into the impact of COVID-19 on children’s literacy, RIF conducted a survey among our community members. I invite you to read the results of our survey based on almost 1,000 respondents at RIF.org/Survey where you’ll find that kids need print books now more than ever, parents need reading resources at home, reading motivation is lacking and social and emotional welfare of students is at risk. At RIF, we are committed to being part of the solution going forward as our nation tackles these and the other lasting impacts of the pandemic in the months and years ahead.

This National Reading Month, I encourage you to engage with the readers in your life and also think about how we can join together to support our children in a post-pandemic world.

Alicia Levi
President & Chief Executive Officer
Reading Is Fundamental