Middle School Family Literacy Initiative
Program Overview
RIF’s Middle School Family Literacy Initiative (MSFLI) provides RIF’s Books for Ownership program to select Middle Schools across the country for three years. Books for Ownership enables students to select new, age-appropriate books to take home and own and is supported by online resources for families, educators, and local literacy advocates to create a continuous focus on reading. If we can assist, please contact RIF at LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org.
Each participating student will receive 3 free books to take home and own along with additional literacy resources. MSFLI also includes optional engagement tools to go “beyond the book”, including professional development for educators, opportunities for student influencers (RIF Ambassadors), and more! For quick access to your school’s opt-in word for families to use to receive once a month literacy texts from RIF, click here.
Books for Ownership
Books for Ownership, RIF’s flagship reading program, enables children to select new, age-appropriate books to take home and own and is supported by resources for families, educators, and local literacy advocates to create a continuous focus on reading. This program drives reading motivation, frequency and enjoyment and relies on a simple yet fundamental truth, if you allow children choice and access, they will become more engaged readers and learners. Over 40 million children nationwide have had the opportunity to experience the power and excitement of this program.
Program Implementation Guide
The Books for Ownership Planning Guide will get you started with your program implementation. You will find tips on planning a book celebration event, incorporating motivational reading activities into your program, getting your community involved, and using Literacy Central and its thousands of digital resources tied to the books we offer for greater literacy impact, as well as ideas for creating an ongoing culture of literacy.
As always, if you have a question, need support, or just want to brainstorm, please send us an email.
Monthly Thematic Activity Packs
This collection features 12 thematic booklists and activity packets specifically designed to capture the interest and imagination of middle school students. Each thematic packet explores a broad concept (e.g., courage, wellness, innovation) and includes its own customized resources: curated booklist, classroom activity, home activity, and independent student activity. The packets can be used in whole or in part and were created as a supplemental resource for literacy development.
Student Engagement
Student engagement brings our Books for Ownership program to life and extends the experience beyond the book. These additional engagement options help build a culture of literacy by meeting students where they are. Below you’ll find information about selecting students to be RIF Ambassadors who will help engage their peers in the excitement of reading. These are optional components to add engagement on top of your Books for Ownership program.
RIF Ambassadors
As part of RIF's middle school family literacy initiative, we are creating a small group of student RIF Ambassadors. We are inviting each participating middle school to select one student or a group of students to serve as your school’s RIF Ambassador(s) for the school year. RIF will tap into this student group for advice, input, and to create reading excitement among students at your school. RIF Ambassadors are welcome to use this #BookTok activity to encourage excitement amongst their peers!
Family Engagement
A key component of RIF’s MSFLI effort is family engagement. We know that this means many different things to each educator and family. Below please find RIF’s perspective on the importance of family engagement as well as tools and resources we are providing to support your efforts as you implement this program in partnership with RIF.
Use this family take-home letter, available in English and Spanish, to inform you families about your RIF program and free resources.
Engagement Overview
RIF’s family engagement overview is a brief handout that provides a definition of family engagement, a research-based rationale for the importance of family engagement, best practices for increasing family engagement, and RIF resource links.
Text Opt-In Toolkit
Share our opt-in form with your families so they can easily sign up for our monthly texts with free literacy resources. We also offer a downloadable poster (also available in Spanish) with a QR code you can hang around your school for families to easily scan, complete the online form and signup. Or, download the PDF below for customizable resources to encourage your school’s families to sign up including a take-home letter, website and newsletter messaging, social media copy, and flyer. When families sign up, they’ll receive monthly texts that will provide recommended book lists, reading tips and fun reading activities.
Privacy Policy
Click here for complete terms and conditions for receiving RIF’s family literacy text messages.
Webinars and Tutorials
Our interactive webinar series aligns with RIF’s mission of having national impact through partnering with local educators and literacy advocates. RIF hosts webinars throughout the year across various topics to offer tips and best practices for educators and families at-home to support students' reading development and foster a love of reading.
We recognize that creating meaningful and sustainable changes in literacy practices involves ongoing, collaborative, reflective and educator-oriented approaches. Please see the schedule here and plan to join us!
Webinar Recordings
Middle School Family Literacy Initiative Advisory Board
Frequently Asked Questions
Reading Is Fundamental (AKA RIF) is the nation’s oldest children’s literacy nonprofit. RIF is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to make an impact and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success.
Books for Ownership, RIF’s flagship reading program, enables children to select new, age-appropriate books to take home and own and is supported by resources for parents, educators, and local literacy advocates to create a continuous focus on reading. This program enables participating children to select books to take home and own and relies on a simple yet fundamental truth, if you allow children choice and access, they will become more engaged readers and learners.
You can find RIF’s BFO Planning Guide and supporting resources at https://rif.org/literacy-network/our-solutions/books-ownership/program-implementation. We also offer supplemental resources for families and educators at https://rif.org/literacy-network/resources/quick-guides. Should you need more in-depth assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Programs team by email at LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org or by phone at 202-536-3400.
You can find the RIF Bookstore at www.RIF.org/bookstore. Please note that the RIF Bookstore operates on a pre-funded basis. If you have any questions about the RIF Bookstore or need your login credentials reset, please contact the Programs team at LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org.
Orders placed through the RIF Bookstore typically arrive within 7-10 days. If it has been more than 14 days and you still have not received your order, or if you order has arrived with damaged or missing items, please call Scholastic’s RIF Customer Service at 1-800-724-2222.
You can find your program requirements in your Literacy Network account under “View Active Program(s) and clicking on the program link. If you cannot locate your Literacy Network login credentials or if you need your password reset, please email the Programs team at LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org.
You can send an email to LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org or call 202-536-3400 and a member of the Programs team will be happy to help.
RIF provides each program coordinator with a login to the bookstore via email. However, if you are unable to find this information, please begin by checking your spam folder. If you are still unable to find your login information, please reach out to LiteracyNetwork@RIF.org and we will ensure you are able to access your information.
RIF determines which books are available for distribution using our internal editorial guidelines. You will also be receiving a collection of books from Bellwether Media. This collection of books is a special order for your community! They are all high-interest nonfiction, low reading level books to ensure students at all levels in their reading journey have age-appropriate books.
RIF hosted an interactive webinar modeling how to plan and implement a family literacy event at your school! To view this archive, please visit https://www.rif.org/literacy-network/resources/webinars-tutorials.