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Worldreader supports reading programs in the United States and East Africa, in the past in West Africa, India, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our app, BookSmart, is free of cost, accessible to readers around the globe and offers over 2,700 children’s books in local and major languages.
Worldreader works in dozens of schools and libraries across East Africa, and millions of readers access our library via their mobile phones in this region. Our LEAP project brought digital reading to all 61 public libraries in Kenya. Our Anasoma pilot project was the first of our dedicated efforts to leverage digital reading to empower women and girls.
We are actively seeking to expand our work in this region through partnerships with local governments and NGOs.
Worldreader helps families across South Africa integrate reading into daily life through BookSmart. A recent survey with our partner Moya found that South African families see BookSmart as valuable for building literacy, language skills, and school readiness. These families are reading together regularly—71% at least twice a week—using shared stories to foster learning, strengthen bonds, and create joyful routines.
We’re therefore working to expand our impact in South Africa through local partnerships that can help children thrive.
We’re in the midst of a global learning crisis that predates the pandemic. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (2022), roughly 65% of children in the United States cannot read or understand a simple story. 4th-grade reading scores are lower now than in 2017, with only 35% of students showing reading proficiency. Our work in the United States supports young readers, families, and educators in under-resourced communities to get all children reading so they can reach their potential.
Our app BookSmart is available free of cost in Latin America and features many books in Spanish and dual-language collections. In Mexico, our past project Avanzalee aimed to instill a love of reading in youth by bringing them a carefully curated library of books. In Peru, our previous Crecelee project targeted children in grades two to four with the aim of instilling reading habits from a young age.
Many of our previous program partners are still using BookSmart.
Whether you’re a company, a donor, or a family—this is our moment.
Let’s get families reading!
