FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL DESTINATION, LITERACY CENTRAL, FEATURING HIGH-QUALITY SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS SUPPORTING CLASSIC AND POPULAR K-6 BOOKS FREE FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS

Supported by Macy’s, New Site Provides Access to Thousands of Learning Resources to Millions of Children Across the United States

(Washington, DC, August 30, 2017) Reading Is Fundamental announced today that it is launching Literacy Central, a new digital destination that includes thousands of free supplemental resources for children grades K-6, parents, and educators to increase interest, comprehension, and frequency of reading among children. Literacy Central debuts September 1, 2017.

Developed with the support of Macy’s, Literacy Central builds on Reading Is Fundamental’s efforts to combat the children’s literacy crisis in the United States, which to date includes the distribution of 413 million books, impacting the lives of 40 million children. Tied to state standards and Lexiles, Literacy Central houses thousands of high-quality learning materials including lesson plans, calendars, activities, games, reading passages, and videos all paired with classic and popular children’s books. The digital destination features a broad selection of resources tied to fiction and non-fiction titles spanning STEM content, multicultural themes, and special needs materials for varying grade levels. Examples of titles with supplemental materials are:

• PreK to Kindergarten: Skippyjon Jones, Pat the Bunny, and Olivia
• Kindergarten to 3rd grade: Where the Wild Things Are, The Keeping Quilt, and The Day the Crayons Quit
• 4th to 6th grade: Charlotte’s Web, Matilda, and Bridge to Terabithia

In addition, Literacy Central provides an easy to use search function that enables students, parents and educators to search for content by grade level, Lexile, theme/topic, keyword, author or illustrator depending on their desired reading focus. To facilitate an easy user experience, this new digital destination allows users to organize their favorite titles and resources, create book lists, and share support materials.

“Reading Is Fundamental continues to expand our approach to combat the literacy crisis in the United States, and to give children the confidence to thrive and build critical life skills through literacy,” said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. “With 65% of 4th grade students not reading on grade level, we need to provide accessible solutions to educators and families nationwide. Literacy Central is our newest digital resource and provides free access to thousands of supplemental literacy materials. Macy’s is an invaluable partner as RIF strives to provide children with the fundamental building blocks they need to read, learn and grow.”

 “At Macy’s, we care deeply about supporting our local communities and inspiring children nationwide to embrace the joy of reading,” said Holly Thomas, Macy’s Group Vice President of Cause Marketing.

“Together with our customers and associates, we have helped to provide more than 12 million books to children across the country since 2004, and are proud to continue to support Reading Is Fundamental and its newest initiative, Literacy Central, which offers free, digital resources to both parents and teachers to foster a real love of learning.”

Reading Is Fundamental is also launching the Literacy Network, a new digital community portal designed to make local connections between Reading Is Fundamental program sites, schools, volunteers, and community organizations that are committed to literacy and making an impact locally. Literacy Network will provide best practices, support resources, and a forum for collaboration for partners to share their ideas, challenges, and successes.

About Reading Is Fundamental:
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success.  As the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for children’s literacy, RIF has provided more than 413 million books to 40 million kids, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow.

CONTACT:
Liz Stein, 240.461.3053
liz@punchpointgroup.com