The Reading Team (www.readingteam.org)

One of our 3rd graders sharing the story he wrote this week!

At the Reading Team, literacy is always the primary focus. But that doesn't mean we never expose children to multiple mediums of the arts. For the last several weeks, our 4th graders have been receiving photography lessons from famed photographer . Thanks Kevin for teaching our kids!

Thank you to Dollar General Literacy Foundation for your 2023 youth literacy grant! Funding received will support our Preschool and After-School time-proven instructional programs for children ages 3-11 in Harlem.

Welcome to the team!

The Reading Team is deeply grateful to the Phillips Charitable Foundation, Inc. for supporting us again this year with a grant of $30,000 towards the operational programming costs of our After-School Program. We are proud to partner with this wonderful Foundation to help make a life-changing difference for the children we serve. Thank you Phillips Charitable Foundation!

Faith Ringgold Dies at 93; Wove Black Life Into Quilts and Children’s Books (Gift Article) A champion of Black artists, she explored themes of race, gender, class, family and community through a vast array of media and later the written word.

Thank you Barbara LaVallee, Susie Reiss, Elizabeth Wilkins Everett, and Tyler R. Lewis for not only touring the After-School program today, but also volunteering your time to help children read.

This evening, our ED joined a panel of some of Harlem's most respected non-profit executives and thought-leaders to discuss the state of youth in , , and beyond. and Bob Poncé: Thank you for having , Michael G. Johnson of , and Joe Rogers of to discuss this critical issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVNiAqdqzUk

Parent Conversation Meetings take place at least twice each semester and whenever parents want to discuss their children's progress with one of our Literacy Coaches.

On the first day of , I'm pleased to share that we've added the works of two African American authors to our library! alumna, .eco_fabulous - Tutu Goes Green and Mac Gardner, CFP® - The Four Money Bears. We hope to have them in soon to read to our children!

The recently ran a letter our executive director, , wrote endorsing 's increased support of phonics based literacy in elementary education. This is critical in helping our kids master the fundamentals of English pronunciation, grammar, and eventually critical thinking. To learn more, visit our website (readingteam.org).

Our Executive Director weighs in on Governor Hochul's proposal to prioritize phonics.

Opinion | A Way to Improve How Children Read Readers respond to a proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York. Also: Donald Trump’s immunity claim; the Biden age issue; hope when facing death.

Read why the Reading Team's services are so vital in today's The New York Times article.

Opinion | The Startling Evidence on Learning Loss Is In (Gift Article) The effects of the pandemic on children are persistent and require urgent attention.

Wishing all of our supporters a happy holiday! Hope to see you in person in 2024!

Our free Book Distribution Program lets children select 10 books a year to take home and keep, creating a bridge between the classroom and independent learning.

Thank you to Literacy Foundation for our 2023 Youth Literacy grant! Funding received will support our high-impact early literacy programs for children ages 3-11 in Harlem.

The NYC DOE continues to learn what Reading Team children have known and been practicing for years: mindfulness. This school year, the initiative will become a required lesson component in every classroom. Mindfulness is an enrichment element of our time-proven, seven-part Instructional Model, developed to tackle the individual, social, and environmental obstacles to literacy proficiency and academic achievement.

‘Mindful Breathing’ Will Now Be Required in New York City Schools “There’s a science to breathing,” Mayor Eric Adams said when announcing the initiative, which will begin next year as a way to improve student well-being.

Thank you West Harlem Development Corporation!

Happy Juneteenth

Art:

WHDC

We believe in the intellectual power of our young children.

The Reading Team has prioritized phonemic awareness since it's inception 21 years ago because it's the most effective approach for teaching reading.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/175642922468639/permalink/6303918259641044/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Thank you Phillips Foundation!

Catching a Problem Early is Key Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist leader and author, once famously wrote “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” – a wise reminder of why we prioritize some of our grant giving to nonprofits that help children.

The Reading Team is feeling grateful for an infusion of new books from our friends at nonprofit Young, Black & Lit. "Octopus Stew" is already a class favorite!

Lend a hand by giving a gift to our children. We'll raise more money to help them succeed. If you donate to the Reading Team now, the Meringoff Family Foundation will match your gift dollar for dollar!

Humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers, or equations." (Yuval Noah Harari, "21 Lessons for the 21st Century," 2019)

Reading Team Literacy Mentor Ms. Vanessa works with her 3rd grade students.

Literacy Mentor Ms. Olga shares a story with our newest students.

Veteran ReadingTeam Literacy Mentor Andrea Exeter trains our new and returning instructors in techniques used in our Preschool Program.

Our 2022-2023 programs, which started this week, deliver daily, explicit, systematic literacy instruction and support to children from Pre-K through 5th grade. When students can read they learn, finish high school, and increase their lifetime earning potential.