Proof It Works
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten!”
– Neil Gaiman, Coraline
Evidence-Based In-Home Reading
Program Can Eliminate Reading Gaps
Choosing an evidence-based program is essential because it enables you, the school or school district, to use ESSER and Title funding to cover program costs.
The Kids Read Now in-home reading and book delivery program is evidence-based, having been favorably reviewed in two independent studies. These studies align with ESSA’s Tier II evidence category making ours an intelligent choice for any school district to consider.
Kids Read Now Studies, Awards and Accolades
Our program has earned several accolades for its ability to reduce reading gaps among PK-5 students.
A 2022 Library of Congress Literacy Award Winner where we are named a Successful Practices Honoree for our implementation of highly successful practices in literacy promotion!
The Johns Hopkins University Center for Research and Reform in Education states “Kids Reads Now appears to be a promising approach for schools looking to engage students with literacy over the summer months.” in their Best Evidence in Brief publication.
Favorable results from two independent research studies on the effectiveness of the Kids Read Now in-home reading and book delivery program in reducing reading gaps. (see more below)
Numerous educator and parent reviews thanking us for the positive change in their children’s reading habits.
Summary Of Study Results
The Kids Read Now in-home reading and book delivery program is favorably reviewed in two independent, research studies led by one of the foremost education researchers in the United States, Dr. Geoffrey D. Borman, Ph.D.
Study results confirm that our program works to reduce or eliminate reading gaps, most notably those experienced over the summer months!
And that’s not all. Outstanding results found in the second study validate the results from the first. The team conducting the second study at Arizona State University conclude that Kids Read Now’s program results are replicable. This is rare. Only 5% of educational research studies prove replicable.
KRN [Kids Read Now] offers consistent and replicable positive impacts, and it is a model that can be scaled. This is highly important.
Dr. Geoffrey D. Borman.
Foundation Professor of Quantitative Methods and Education Policy Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
The two studies were conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Arizona State University respectively. Both were led by Dr. Borman in consecutive years.
Study Results
The summary conclusion is “when students and parents take advantage of the full complement of 9 books delivered by Kids Read Now, the results are…equivalent to approximately 2.5 months of learning, or nearly 28% of the learning that takes place over a typical school year.” In short, “Kids Read Now can more than eradicate the entire two months of summer learning loss experienced by low-income students.”
Other key findings:
- “The average impact of Kids Read Now among all participating students is equivalent to 1.7 months of learning, or almost 20% of a full school year.”
- “With full implementation [reporting 9 books read] outcomes showing an impact of 0.18 standard deviations, Kids Read Now has “essentially the same” impact as more intensive and expensive school-based programs, which have an average impact of 0.19 standard deviations.”
- “The results of this study suggest that Kids Read Now can have statistically significant impacts on the reading achievement of participating students across grades 1 through 4. Further, when students and parents take full advantage of the program’s offerings, the results for student achievement are amplified.” – University of Wisconsin-Madison Independent Study
Read the full report from JESPAR (The Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk) here: A Quasi-Experimental Study of the Impacts of the Kids Read Now Summer Reading Program.
Fall, Spring, and Summer Programs Reduce Reading Gaps, and The Summer Slide Affordably
“At the cost of pennies per day, which can be fully reimbursable with Title funds, Kids Read Now is an economical and effective supplement to PK-5 literacy initiatives. It can be made available to all students or targeted subgroups, augmenting your reading curriculum at any time of the year. In the summer, where significant RTI is often required, and transportation challenges impact those who cannot attend traditional summer programs, our in-home book delivery program is proven to make a significant impact on eliminating the summer reading slide.”
– Leib Lurie, CEO, Kids Read Now
What would your world be like if your below-level students consistently read 6-8 more books per semester and over the summer?
It would be a game-changer.
We’re ready to make that happen in your schools. Interested? Let’s chat and get all of your questions answered.
Or, you can connect with us
via the chat box at the bottom
of this page.
About Geoffrey D. Borman, Ph. D.
Geoffrey D. Borman is one of the foremost education researchers in the United States. As a methodologist and policy analyst with a focus on educational outcomes, education policy, and education inequality. Dr. Borman is committed to applying rigorous research to discover “what works” in education. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1997 and is currently the Foundation Professor of Quantitative Methods and Education Policy at Arizona State University. His main research interests center on the outcomes of schooling, specifically the social distribution of the educational outcomes, and the ways in which educational inequality can be overcome through practices and policy.
Dr. Borman has led more than 25 randomized field trials, which have included randomization of students, classrooms or teachers, schools, and districts. He has received a number of national awards and has been selected by Education Week as one of the top 200 scholars having the most significant influence on U.S. education practice and policy.
Dr. Borman’s work has been cited thousands of times and published in dozens of journals including; Johns Hopkins University, Center for Research and Reform in Education, The Elementary School Journal, Peabody Journal of Education, Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, the Journal of Educational Psychology, and many more.
“Kids Read Now can more than eradicate the entire two months of summer learning loss experienced by low-income students.”