Keep Children Reading – United States
Supporting children in need during the education crisis and beyond.
Join us. Help students in under-resourced communities read.
Learning loss threatens to leave children from vulnerable communities behind and worsen educational inequities already embedded in the US system. When you support Worldreader, you bring a library of books and engaging learning activities to families, so children can read and learn. BookSmart is available on all devices (mobile phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and laptops) so children can learn anytime, anywhere.
We’re working with partners to support communities across the country.
Working in vulnerable communities requires expertise and long-standing local leadership. We’re proud to be partnering with organizations that have years of experience in delivering reading programs and educational support to the children who need it most.
Now is the time to help our country’s vulnerable students read, develop essential skills, and build resilience.
Worldreader has designed a reading program to help vulnerable children from pre-K through 5th grade read. The benefits of supporting these children will be felt for years to come. Reading with BookSmart does the following:
Mitigates learning loss
through increased literacy
Strengthens children’s learning for years to come
Contributes to education equity efforts
Children can read with BookSmart in or out of school
Read anytime, anywhere
At the touch of a finger, children and their families can access a rich collection of global digital titles anytime, anywhere via mobile phones or other devices.
Read around the world in English and Spanish
The BookSmart app allows students to read around the world with hundreds of age-appropriate books curated from international and US publishers. Children will see themselves represented and experience cultures beyond their own. Books are available in English and Spanish.
Learn new subjects and build new skills
Three simple activities accompany each weekly book. These activities reinforce learning, build new skills, and encourage students to read more.
Engage with books every week
Through push notifications and messaging, students are encouraged to read. After completing key milestones, students can receive certificates or rewards.
We’re reaching children and parents
on any device.
By delivering reading to children via mobile phones, tablets, Chromebooks and laptops –
we’re reaching them on the devices they already own – anytime, anywhere.
- 96% of families have access to mobile phones and nearly 20% of children have a phone by age 8.
- Mobile reading in the US is on the rise. Reading apps have over 100 million downloads.
- Since 2010, Worldreader has reached more than 20 million readers.
Keep Children Reading is guided by a preeminent Advisory Council.
Advisory Council members help shape programmatic strategy and advise on emerging trends in their areas of expertise.
Marco Bertini
Visiting professor at Harvard Business School and Marketing professor at ESADE
Sandra Cisneros
Author and MacArthur Fellow, The House on Mango Street
Andy Jassy
President and CEO of Amazon.com
Elana Jassy
Philanthropist
Lonnie Johnson
Inventor/Founder and President, Johnson R&D
Anthony Marx
President, New York Public Library
Afam Onyema
CEO, GEANCO Foundation
Mary Pope Osborne
Author, Magic Tree House series
Carrie Stern Rathod
Senior Brand Director, Procter & Gamble
British A. Robinson
President and CEO, Barbara Bush
Foundation for Family Literacy
Dennis Scott
Commentator, NBA on TNT, and former professional basketball player
Roy Swan
Director of Mission Investments,
Ford Foundation
Photo of Sandra Cisneros by Keith Dannemiller
Founders Circle
We are grateful to everyone who has supported Keep Children Reading. Special thanks to these individuals who were the earliest supporters of the US program. Through their generosity, Keep Children Reading will contribute to education equity efforts across the country and strengthen children’s learning for years to come.
To inquire about joining the Founders Circle, contact us at development@worldreader.org.
Anonymous
Mike Sundermeyer and Carrie Anderson
Charles and Lorie Brighton
Alan and Vic Caplan
Chris Capossela and Leigh Toner
Bill and Lynn Carr
Adam Gross
Andrew and Elana Jassy
Atul Khanna
Neen and Kirk Koenigsbauer
Dave Limp
Lauri and Greg Nakamoto
Charles Phillips
Alison and David Rich
Brian and Ann Roberts
Neil Roseman
Singer Foundation
David and Nancy Thacher
Brad and Alys Smith/Valhalla Foundation
WineDirect
David Zapolsky
Learn about our work in the Global South
Worldreader began working in Ghana in 2010. Since then, we’ve brought reading to over 20 million people across more than 100 countries.
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