Become a Read On Community
- Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges associated with achieving third grade reading proficiency for the children in your community.
- Identify key community stakeholders that can work together to make significant improvements in early literacy (i.e., key stakeholders such as: city council, mayor, libraries, school districts, Head Start and early child care, nonprofits, etc.) Commit your lead public official to serving on the Literacy Leadership Council, convenes annually and is comprised of community leaders committed to improving early literacy.
- Determine a planning and convening process using a collaborative approach and a willingness to develop strategies to improve early literacy and grade level reading in the community with actionable steps to begin to address the problem. Strategic areas of focus could include: school readiness, early grade success, summer learning loss, chronic absence, family engagement, etc.
- Demonstrate a commitment to building awareness on the importance of grade level reading in the community.
- Draft a letter of intent demonstrating a readiness to participate as a Read On Community and to make early literacy a priority in your community. Please include name and contact information for a Read On Community liaison (See form below).
Every community is different in their approach and tactics but each of the Read On Community demonstrates a collaborative approach to making grade level reading a priority in their community. Arizona Read On Cities are connected to technical assistance, access to research and forums, as well as a network of communities that share best practices and innovative solutions.
We encourage and invite you to become a Read On Community today and join a statewide community-based literacy collaborative that will fill the gaps in early literacy and ensure Arizona’s children have the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and in life. When Arizona reads, Arizona thrives!
To learn more about becoming a Read On Community, contact Terri Clark at tclark@readonarizona.org.
