The New Worlds Reading Initiative is open for enrollment in its groundbreaking program which aims to help Florida students improve their reading skills at no cost to their families.
The program runs during the bulk of the school year, from October to June, and delivers students a free book that is carefully picked and tailored to that specific student’s interests every month. The books include various resources and activities for the children to use with their parents or guardians.
Some of the titles include: How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? Super Fly Guy, Stella Diaz Dreams Big, Because of Winn Dixie, and others.
Beth Davis, the School District of Osceola’s Literacy Coordinator, said she believes the program isn’t just an academic benefit, but also helps families spend more quality time together.
“The students love getting a personalized package and parents enjoy sharing the gift of reading with their children,” She said.
The Initiative was put into practice in 2021 and since then has received funding from the state legislature to make this program a possibility. In the short time that the initiative has been in place, officials from New World Reading have already reported over a 50 percent increase in reading achievement growth rates among enrolled students. This data from the study surveys kids from kindergarten to fifth grade. According to another report released by NWRI, nearly 200,000 students across the state benefited from the program with approximately 15,000 living in Osceola County.
The program is eligible for students with belowaverage reading scores in Kindergarten to Fifth grade. Additional data from New World Reading shows that children enrolled in the program grow almost 40% faster than other eligible but not enrolled students.
This week has been Celebrate Literacy Week, and officials at New World Reading say there couldn’t be a better time to encourage children to read.
