Read by 4th

Philadelphia once had libraries with certified librarians in most of its schools, but now is down to almost none. An alliance of educators, policymakers and others hope to change that with the help of a $150,000 federal grant.

A huge shout out to our partner Philadelphia Alliance to Restore School Librarians for leading this incredible work! 📚

Just 1 full-time school librarian is left in Philly. That could soon change. Philadelphia once had libraries with certified librarians in most of its schools, but now is down to almost none. An alliance of educators, policymakers and others hope to change that with the help of a $150,000 federal grant.

What an incredible evening celebrating the many awardees, funders, and Read by 4th partners who make the Neighborhood Literacy Fund possible.

The Neighborhood Literacy Fund was born from community conversations and the recognition that we cannot justly mobilize the community to support early literacy without providing adequate funding. While many community leaders have made do with very little, often using their own resources to transform lives, this is neither fair nor equitable.

To date, the fund has awarded $81,040 to support 44 community-driven projects aimed at improving early literacy across Philadelphia.

Highlights from the 2024 Neighborhood Literacy Fund Celebration — Read by 4th With $81,040 awarded to 44 projects, the Neighborhood Literacy Fund is powering community-driven literacy solutions.

"For the upcoming school year, the Philadelphia school district is putting into practice a new reading curriculum as part of a $70 million investment in updated instructional materials in English Language Arts, math, and science. The early grades language arts curriculum from EL Education replaces a teacher-driven one, and is grounded in the science of reading, the now-accepted consensus on what works best for literacy instruction."

Philadelphia has a new way to teach reading. The district says patience is needed. The English Language Arts curriculum taps into the science of reading, and many hope it will provide rocket fuel for students’ literacy skills. But some caution that more time and teacher preparation are needed to see its full benefits.

Diverse books are essential to growing strong readers, and here's a chance to get up to $5,000 worth of brand-new, diverse books for your community! 📚

Thanks to an awesome partnership between the William Penn Foundation, First Book, Philly Book Bank, and Read by 4th (us), your book wish is being answered! 🌟

Who can apply for the Philly Book Wish grant?

👨🏽‍🏫 Educators
💪Community Organizations
📚 Reading Captains
❤️ People serving low-income families in Philly

Applications are due August 18, 2024!

Tag someone who should apply.

3 reasons to apply for Philly Book Wish’s $5,000 diverse book grant — Read by 4th Philly Book Wish offers up to $5,000 in diverse children’s books to inspire our city’s young readers. Apply today!

HA-Zel Davis just marked her 5th year as a Reading Captain in true literacy-champion style! She threw an amazing event on her block, where families could dive into tables filled with free books and materials to take home, and even get their faces painted with characters from their favorite stories.

Reading Captains like HA-Zel are spreading the love of literacy all across Philadelphia, one book at a time. Let's show them the love and appreciation they deserve! 💖🙌

Thank you and congratulations HA-Zel!

We're Hiring! Join Philly’s early literacy movement! 📚✨

Read by 4th is looking for passionate individuals to fill two key roles: Campaign Director and Partner Experience Coordinator.

These positions are perfect for:
🌟 Education Advocates
🌟 Social Impact Leaders
🌟 Action-Forward Strategists
🌟 Cross-Sector Collaborators
🌟 Master Facilitators
🌟 Project Managers with Equal Parts Action and Heart

If you're dedicated to making a difference and driving positive change in early literacy, we want to hear from you!

Apply Today!

Careers and Other Opportunities Would you like to work for one of the largest urban library systems in the U.S.? The Free Library of Philadelphia is comprised of 54 locations. We circulate millions of items to hundreds of thousands of patrons, and host thousands of programs every year. Only a dedicated, enthusiastic, and creative....

Recent scholarship is uncovering the role of the women who ran libraries during the Harlem Renaissance where they built collections and, just as important, communities of writers and readers.

How Black Librarians Helped Create Generations of Black Literature

Reading Captain and dedicated mom, Andrea Blassingame has joined the front lines of the fight for fair school funding. And urges others to do the same.

Since attending a virtual event hosted by Read by 4th and Children First, Andrea has gone to Harrisburg, participated in phone banks, and helped spread the word on how parents, caregivers, and community members can advocate for high-quality education in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

A word with Andrea Blassingame on the fight for fair school funding — Read by 4th Reading Captain and dedicated mom, Andrea Blassingame has joined the front lines of the fight for fair school funding. And urges others to do the same.

What an unforgettable evening celebrating those who support Philly’s young readers! ✨📚❤️

Our annual Partner Network Meeting was fantastic. Reading Captains, educators, policymakers, families, funders, and friends came together over food, drinks, and a shared mission.

Philadelphia understands that teaching our children to read is a collective responsibility. Everyone in the room is dedicated to protecting our children’s right to read and is ready to take action. And we are so grateful to call each of them a partner and friend.

Check out more event photos here: 📸👇

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBuQAs

Learning and play go hand-in-hand.

That’s why in everything we do to promote early literacy, we make sure learning is playful for all kids and grownups involved.

Check out our Philly ABCs playground installations! These pop-ups transform chain-link fences into opportunities for playful learning.

Families can enjoy brightly colored alphabet signs bursting with Philly pride. And prompts share fun ideas to practice alphabet knowledge in the playground, like drawing alphabet hopscotch, playing letter-sound I Spy, or skipping to the letters in your name.

Stay tuned. The Philly ABCs are coming to at least 20 Philly playgrounds this summer!

The Philly ABCs are made possible through an incredible partnership between Read by 4th, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. And is proudly supported by PNC Grow Up Great.

These proposed policies directly support early literacy education. You can help turn them into law.

3 ways you can advocate for early literacy in Philadelphia — Read by 4th These proposed policies directly support early literacy education. You can help turn them into law.

Exciting News! ✨📚 🎉

We're thrilled to share that Read by 4th was featured in PHL17's Community Spotlight! Our mission to protect our children's right to read and the hard work of our many partners is getting the recognition it deserves. And we couldn't be prouder.

Thank you to PHL17 for shining a light on this work and to everyone who has supported us along the way.

Watch and read the full story here: https://phl17.com/phl17-news/community-spotlight-read-by-4th-nonprofit-focuses-on-helping-philly-students-become-strong-readers/

Community Spotlight: Read By 4th nonprofit focuses on helping Philly students become strong readers “Community Spotlight” with PHL17’s Jennifer Lewis-Hall highlights the work that nonprofits and community organizations are doing in the Delaware Valley. This week’s Community Spotlig…

What an incredible night celebrating Philly's amazing Reading Captains! 🎉

At last night's Reading Captain Town Hall, we gathered over a fantastic meal, played games, shared stories, and learned more about the fight for fair school funding (shout out to Children First).

Each Reading Captain left with certificates of appreciation and free books, thanks to the generous donations from Philly Book Bank and 6abc/Disney’s Magic of Storytelling, which gifted us 2,000 children’s books. 📚✨

Philly's Reading Captains, who share literacy tips and resources with families in their communities year-round, truly deserve all the recognition!

Thank you to everyone who made this night unforgettable. And let’s keep the momentum going!

What’s next in Pennsylvania’s fight for fair school funding?

There’s a lot of positive momentum following the landmark ruling that declared Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional, including record-setting proposals to increase school budgets.

But there’s still work to be done.

Join us and Children First for a briefing on Governor Shapiro’s education budget proposal and how you can advocate for the education our children deserve.

We'll be hosting the same conversation on two dates-- registration links below.

Hope to see you there!

Congratulations to our friend and partner, Sylvia P. Simms, on her new book, A Parent’s POWER.

Sylvia is an action-forward community education advocate and a force here in Philadelphia. She brings parents and caregivers together to fight for high-quality education in low-income neighborhoods. And a better future for all Philadelphians.

In the constant debate about education, the voices of parents and community members are often forgotten and overlooked. A Parent’s POWER is a reminder of the inherent strength of caregivers as education advocates. Her stories navigating the education system are a must-read for educators, policymakers, and anyone looking to truly work collaboratively with the community.

Unsurprisingly, the room was packed at Sylvia’s book launch. Mayors, neighbors, elected officials, educators, and families, came together to show Sylvia some of the love she pours into our community.

Congratulations, Sylvia! Your partnership makes our work more honest, more authentic, and more impactful.

Go check out her book, A Parent’s POWER!

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day this Saturday, April 27th! 📚 Philly's indie bookstores serve as more than just places to shop—they're vibrant community hubs, sanctuaries for book lovers, places for great stories, and even greater conversation.

📍 Check out our Philly bookstore map (we count over 50!) and tag where you're headed this weekend.

Shop Philly’s independent bookstores — Read by 4th Looking for your next read? Shop at Philly’s indie bookstores.

Need books? These incredible organizations donate free children’s books to Philly nonprofits and community groups year-round.

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Where to get donated children’s books for your organization or community — Read by 4th These organizations can help you find free books for Philly families.

Let’s get reading, West Philly! Reading Captains and volunteers from BLBB Advisors decorated little free libraries at ACHIEVEability's Impact Day 2024. A huge thank you to URBN for their sponsorship and construction of the libraries.

Need some inspiration for your Neighborhood Literacy Fund application? This info session has stories from past awardees and tips!

The Neighborhood Literacy Fund supports community-driven solutions to the early literacy crisis by awarding up to $2,000 for projects that help grow Philadelphia’s young readers.

And anyone can apply!

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 19, 2024!

Neighborhood Literacy Fund Info Session 2024 Want to help grow strong readers in your community? The Neighborhood Literacy Fund supports community-driven solutions to the early literacy crisis by awardi...

The library stands as a monument to the fact that knowledge is power. Giving us free space to learn, question, and simply be ourselves.

is a chance for us to give back. This one-day online fundraising event helps support these incredible institutions that serve our community.

The The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation funds many of the Free Library of Philadelphia's vital programs that make a difference throughout Philly and from now through midnight, your gift will be DOUBLED!

If you’ve fallen in love with the library, give today! freelibrary.org/LGD

Even as a prospective educator, you have the power to address the literacy crisis. And it starts with what teacher preparation program you choose.

Applying to an education program? Ask these questions to see if it’s aligned with the Science of Reading — Read by 4th Make sure you graduate ready to teach all children how to read.

Families, tune in! 🎵

These 5 songs might be better than the ABCs at helping your child learn to read — Read by 4th Discover new music that makes learning fun, all while building essential early literacy skills.

Have an idea to support young readers in your community?

The Neighborhood Literacy Fund supports community-driven solutions to the early literacy crisis by awarding up to $2,000 for projects that help grow Philadelphia’s young readers.

The best part, it’s open to everyone! Literacy advocates, educators, librarians, and powerful parents, apply today.

Neighborhood Literacy Fund — Read by 4th The Neighborhood Literacy Fund supports community-driven solutions to the early literacy crisis by awarding up to $2,000 for projects that help grow Philadelphia’s young readers.

“The fact that parents who can afford it get tutoring and other help can mask how many kids are struggling, said Kate Mayer, an advocate who cofounded a group called Everyone Reads PA.”

A battle over how to teach kids to read is playing out in Philly-area classrooms. Parents are losing trust. Advocates for the “science of reading” are pushing to change reading instruction, but say not enough schools realize what they're doing wrong.

"Only about a quarter of the teachers who leave teacher preparation programs across our nation enter classrooms prepared to teach kids to read [in a way that's] aligned to the science and research on reading," says Heather Peske, president of NCTQ.

Teacher training programs don't always use research-backed reading methods Research shows there are science-backed ways to help students learn to read, but not all teachers are trained in the best way to do so. In response, colleges are reimagining their curriculums.

Great things are happening in Philly as schools embrace the science of reading! 📚

Check out how high quality professional developmentnt and support for teachers helped transform a local elementary school.

Here’s how this Philly elementary school moved from bare-bones budget to statewide star Pennsylvania’s top education official visited a few months ago to highlight the work going on at Lingelbach, in part because of a dramatic increase in student performance as measured by state tests.

Every child deserves the chance to become a strong reader 📚.

But today, too many students in Pennsylvania are unable to read proficiently, threatening their futures and our commonwealth’s economy, workforce, and collective well-being.

SB 801 and HB 998, the Literacy Achievement for All Pennsylvanians bills, would change that by ensuring that every child has access to high-quality literacy teaching and instructional materials.

The bills include:

📚 Science of Reading aligned curriculum
🩺 Early screening and support for struggling readers
🧑‍🏫 Evidence-based professional development for teachers

You can help! Take two minutes today to email your elected officials in Harrisburg and encourage them to help move these bipartisan bills forward this spring.

Tell Your Elected Officials to Support the Literacy Achievement for All Pennsylvanians Bills! | Teach Plus Early literacy is critically important in shaping a child's educational journey, and a well-designed state-level approach will have a lasting positive impact on the academic success and overall well-being of our youngest learners in Pennsylvania. Reading proficiently by third grade lays the foundati...

The African American Children's Book Fair is this Saturday, February 3, 2024! This incredible event has been celebrating the legacy of black storytelling for 32 years.

Here are a few reasons to make this family tradition:

📚 Purchase extraordinary stories for your home where Black characters take the lead

✍🏾 Meet some of the world’s leading Black authors and illustrators

❤️ Build community with families who love reading just as much as yours

Diverse books for everyone! We hope to see you there.

And help spread the word and share the flyer on the last slide!

“Poetry is a community practice,” Davis says. “I believe that the poet laureate’s duty is to gather people on the margins and bring them to the center so that we can find and love one another.”

Meet Philly’s new poet laureate Kai Davis Davis says she considers it her duty as poet laureate to gather people on the margins and bring them to the center.