Back to School & Ready to Read!
About Us
In 2021 we launched our structured literacy tutoring program for students who struggle to read, with a particular focus on students from low-income and underserved families. It is provided at no cost. We also cover the cost of tutor training for everyone who teaches in the program. By covering both, we remove the two economic barriers that keep these services out of reach for most families, and we make it possible for tutors to come from the same neighborhoods as the students.
A lot of kids in PA don't have access to this type of support, especially those that are getting by on $30,000 a year (our median income level for students receiving our reading intervention).
So we made ours free. Every tutor trained, every session, every workbook, at no cost to any family. This campaign is how we get our tutors trained and equipped before the first day of school.
What is Structured Literacy?
Reading Intervention
Reading intervention is what a child needs when regular classroom instruction has not worked. One student sits with one certified interventionist for an hour at a time, following an Orton-Gillingham sequence that teaches the sound-symbol system of English directly and in order: sounds first, then letters, then syllable types, then the word parts that carry meaning. Nothing new is introduced until the previous skill is mastered, and the interventionist assesses continuously and reteaches on the spot rather than waiting for a unit to end.
Early Literacy Instruction
We utilize Wilson Fundations techniques in small groups. Fundations helps teach the code that English is built on, in a fixed order, and it teaches it out loud. Children learn to hear and separate the individual sounds in a word before they are asked to spell it. They learn each letter and letter combination as a sound rather than a name, then the six syllable types, then the prefixes, suffixes, and roots that carry meaning. Alongside that they practice handwriting on a lined page where the top line is the "sky line," the middle is the "plane line," and the bottom is the "grass line," so forming the letter and knowing its sound get learned together. Sessions are fast, scripted, and cumulative: nothing new arrives until the last piece is solid.
What’s our impact in Pittsburgh and Beyond?
We started in 2021 with 5 students at one site. By 2025 we were serving 200 students at 17 locations, and we are on track to pass 250 this year.
Launching Early Literacy in 2023 is what changed our scale, growing from 14 students in its first year to 164 in 2025.
Does it work? We measure everything.
Before tutoring, 13% of our students met the 80% proficiency bar. After tutoring, 88% did.
Every season since 2024 has produced gains, and the gains keep growing, from +18 points in our first season to +35.7 this spring.
Students gained 1.27 grade levels in under one year. This is specifically impressive for students with dyslexia and severe reading issues!
Reading improved 51.6% and spelling 46.9%, both statistically significant, measured on the same students before and after.
98% of families say they are happy with the program, and 94% say their child is more confident reading.
90% say their child is reading better since starting, and 86% say it has helped in subjects beyond reading.
90% of students would recommend the program, and every single one reported improvement in at least one subject outside of reading.
Caregivers rate their child's confidence in reading 4.5 out of 5, and overall satisfaction 4.4 out of 5.
Families, in their own words:
“Having a tutor come to my child’s school has been a game changer for him.”
“I get to learn a lot!”
“The tutors have developed great relationships with both our sons. Very positive feelings all around!”
“The school was doing pull-out support in a small group. He has improved more with LDA.”
“She really tries and has more confidence.”
“My child’s tutor is extremely helpful in the ways she communicates with me as a parent. She helps me understand my son’s challenges and how to best help him.”
“During reading in school, I raise my hand more to read than I did before.”
“We are so grateful. Her creativity and enthusiasm has made an enormous impact!”
“I love tutoring!”
