Boston Schools Benefit from the ReadBoston Program

Literacy is a problem across the nation; and with the influx of many poorly educated immigrants, the problem is only getting worse. The city of Boston has done something about it, and partners with the Boston schools for one phase of its implementation.

Literacy is a problem across the nation; and with the influx of many poorly educated immigrants, the problem is only getting worse. The city of Boston has done something about it, and partners with the Boston schools for one phase of its implementation. In 1995, Mayor Thomas M. Menino founded the ReadBoston project to address the low literacy levels of the city's youth. The project's goal is to have all children in Boston schools reading on grade level by the completion of third grade. ReadBoston targets children both before they enter Boston schools kindergarten and throughout elementary school. After school programs and summer activities extend the campaign to ensure Boston's youth can read. Preschool Years Before entering the Boston schools, ReadBoston partners with childcare centers, providing materials and training to help the centers establish and encourage home reading programs for the children who attend the centers. They also work with daycare teachers to improve their literacy teaching skills. ReadBoston has two main programs under the early years literacy campaign - Early Literacy Links and The Reading Trail. Early Literacy Links reinforces ReadBoston's focus on the importance of early literacy by promoting more effective reading instruction through teacher training. Three literacy specialists and one resource librarian focus their efforts in a small number of childcare centers to help train teachers and daycare providers. Their focus is how to best prepare young children to become able readers. The Reading Trail promotes family involvement in the literacy development of their children. Home lending libraries are established and maintained in childcare centers across the city to encourage children to read, to have a family member read to them, to visit the library, and to use individual "trail guides" to record the books they read. As the children reach milestones along the "trail", they are given books and other reading incentives. Additionally, centers participating in The Reading Trail receive books to establish libraries and training on how to integrate family reading activities into their current curriculum. Boston Schools Once children reach the elementary level within the Boston schools, ReadBoston is there to welcome them and assist the Boston schools to foster literacy home-school connections. Within the Boston schools, ReadBoston breaks into four separate yet cohesive programs - the Family Literacy Project, Reading Is Fundamental, the After-School Project, and the Families And Books program. Family Literacy Project: