December 2022 Newsletter

It’s that time of year, and I’m already anxious. Please don’t get me wrong; I love everything about the holidays–the food, the decorations, the movies, and the parties. What’s not to love? But, from Giving Tuesday until December 31st, fundraising is a big part of what we at Reading Allowed spend our time doing. Asking for money is an uncomfortable part of the job, but incredibly necessary.

 

Reading Allowed is getting calls daily from families who need intensive literacy support for their struggling readers. We are extremely proud to say that we have never turned anyone away–and we never intend to.

 

It’s through the generosity of our donors that we are able to provide this high-quality literacy instruction. So, as uncomfortable as it makes me, I’ll step out of my comfort zone and keep asking simply because our struggling readers need it. 

 

I hope you’ll take a look at our Impact Report to see everything that we’ve achieved over the past three years and I look forward to sharing our goals for 2023.

 

Meanwhile, please consider a donation to Reading Allowed. We can assure you that it will make a difference. Most importantly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your support that allows us to keep saying yes to every struggling reader who comes our way.

 

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season,

 

Angela Marks

On behalf of our students and instructors, thank you for celebrating GivingTuesday with your thoughtful contributions to Reading Allowed – a total of $7,500!

 

Your gifts enable us to uphold our mission and support more students who need us, train and hire more instructors, and expand our programming. Thank you!

We are proud to present our Impact Report 2019-22, a summary of our incredible progress since our founding in September 2019. Our growth over the past three years is attributed to the meaningful support of our community. Thank you for helping Reading Allowed to flourish!

There is still time to make your 2022 donation to Reading Allowed! Your charitable contribution made by December 31st is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

 

Gifts to Reading Allowed enable us to work one-on-one and in school and community programs with students, as well as educate instructors with a shared passion for supporting all students who need structured literacy instruction. Hear what Wilson Reading System® Certification Program scholarship recipient and kindergarten teacher Jocelynn Norris has to say about the effectiveness of the program in her work in the classroom in the video, above.

Congratulations to Amy Guillotte, our beloved Reading Allowed instructor, and her husband Ben on their new addition, Nate! They are enjoying their sweet first moments as a family, and Nate already has a growing library of books!

Designating Reading Allowed as the recipient nonprofit organization of 0.5% of your eligible purchases through AmazonSmile is a simple and thoughtful way to show your support. We are grateful for all of our donors who contribute to RA through their purchases!

 

When making your holiday gift purchases on Amazon, make sure you select Reading Allowed as your recipient organization through AmazonSmile! 

Data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress reports a loss equivalent to two decades of progress in math and reading among nine-year-olds, as well as math-score declines among eighth graders in 49 of 50 states. In Pandemic Learning Loss, journalist Sarah Mervosh examines the role pandemic-initiated remote learning continues to play in learning loss in students across the country. 

 

“The poverty rate is very predictive of how much you lost,” Sean Reardon, an education professor at Stanford who helped lead the analysis, told Mervosh. Click below to learn more about key factors contributing to learning loss.

This month is full of celebrations! From Hanukkah to Kwanzaa to Christmas–and, for many, a combination of any of the three–December is all about spending time with loved ones. Holiday break from school? Well, that’s the perfect time to reach for fun! Grab a great book and get cozy. Here are some suggestions. Click below to view our entire list of recommendations.

 

At Sadie’s house, she has “a mix of two traditions,” and so begins the description of what life is like with Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama. Christmas trees and candles, angels, and menorahs all come into play. Songs about dreidels and a silent night are sung. Then the relatives come and everyone tells stories of their own traditions.

 

In this lively spin on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” a little girl dances across the pages as she accumulates gifts from her amiga. Beginning with “a pinata in a pine tree” and culminating in “doce angelitos celebrando” (twelve angels rejoicing), the double-page spreads each contain a pronunciation guide for both gifts and numbers.

 

Deja believes in Santa, but…how can he get into her apartment without a chimney? Where will he put his sleigh if there aren’t any parking spaces on her city street? The adults in her life do their best to answer her questions, but Deja isn’t satisfied. On Christmas Eve, Deja’s plan to stay awake so she can quiz Santa herself fails. But on Christmas morning Deja finds proof that Santa has been there.