The Literacy Project Foundation

THE LITERACY'S PROJECT'S MISSION IS TO ELIMINATE THE LITERACY GAP OF UNDERSERVED SECOND AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WHO ARE FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE. OUR VISION IS TO FOSTER A LIFELONG LOVE OF READING IN EACH STUDENT SINCE READING IS KEY TO LEARNING AND ACHIEVING THE AMERICAN DREAM.

THROUGH PRE- AND POST-TESTING, BOTH ACADEMIC AND ATTITUDINAL, THE LITERACY PROJECT PROGRAM PROVES SIGNIFICANT, MEASURABLE GAINS IN PHONICS, WORD DECODING, WORD IDENTIFICATION, ENGLISH FLUENCY, AND READING, WHICH INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE IN READING SKILLS. A NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ASSESSMENT METHOD IS USED FOR THE PRE- AND POST-TESTING OF ATTITUDES.THE ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S (OCDE), EVALUATION, DATA, AND ASSESSMENT CENTER (EDAC) REVIEWED THE PROGRAM INDEPENDENTLY IN 2012. THE DATA CONCLUDED THAT "TESTED STUDENTS BEGAN THE PROGRAM WITH LOWER READING SKILLS THAN THE COMPARISON GROUP AND TESTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN NON-PARTICIPATING PEERS." IT WAS CONSISTENTLY FOUND THAT PARTICIPATING STUDENTS OUTPERFORMED THEIR NON-PARTICIPATING PEERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR GRADE, AGE, OR SCHOOL. AS A RESULT, STUDENTS IMPROVED BY THREE-FOURTHS OF A GRADE LEVEL OR SEVEN MONTHS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.PARTICIPANTS BEGAN THE PROGRAM WITH READING PROFICIENCY LEVELS BELOW 25% OF THEIR NON-PARTICIPATING PEERS. PARTICIPANTS' PHONETIC SKILLS INCREASED BY AN AVERAGE OF 76%, AND THEIR READING PROFICIENCY WAS NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THEIR PEERS, WHICH MEANS TPL'S PROGRAM SUCCEEDED IN "BRIDGING THEIR LITERACY GAP." COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. IN SOME CASES, STUDIES SHOW THAT THE PARTICIPANT OUTSCORED THE CONTROL GROUP (NON PARTICIPATING PEERS) BY AS MUCH AS 129%.THE POST PROGRAM ATTITUDINAL SURVEY REVEALED SIGNIFICANT MEASURABLE RESULTS, INCLUDING OVER: 80% REPORTED THAT READING WAS MORE ENJOYABLE 80% FELT THEY HAD BECOME BETTER READERS 60% LIKED SCHOOL MORE 70% FELT THEIR GRADES WERE IMPROVING 75% REPORTED THAT READING BETTER MADE SCHOOL MORE FUN