Second-grade teacher Monica Lee hopes students leave her Bain Elementary classroom having developed not just literacy skills, but also a deeper appreciation of and love for reading. “My mission is to not just teach the science of reading but also the love of reading,” she said. Lee has worked as an educator for 25 years, 17 of which have been with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. “I know that educating children is my purpose,” she said. “Teaching students to crack the code and to be able to read independently is the reason I became a teacher, and it brings me joy.” Jennifer Grant, who nominated ..read more

Cyra Aggarwal became a book blogger at age 13, launching her own website dedicated to sharing the joy of reading with the world. The idea for the blog started closer to home, when Cyra’s friends would ask her for book recommendations. Cyra figured there were lots of kids who liked to read but struggled with selecting books, so she decided to start her website with that audience in mind. Cyra’s mother, Mani Mukhija, said from the age of 4, Cyra could always be found with a book in hand. Mani has watched her daughter’s love for reading grow over the years, along with her aspirations to become a ..read more

Kindergarten is a critical year for early literacy. An analysis by Harvard Professor James Kim found that the entire size of the reading achievement gap in spring 2019 for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools third graders was in place by the end of their kindergarten year. We found this research so compelling that Read Charlotte’s updated strategy includes a focus on helping CMS to increase the number of kindergarteners who finish the year meeting grade-level expectations for reading. We know children need simultaneous support in both “constrained” skills like word reading and “unconstrained” skill ..read more

By Munro Richardson Researchers now estimate that 95 percent of all children can be taught to read by the end of first grade, with future achievement constrained only by students’ reasoning and listening comprehension abilities.1 – Louisa Moats, co-creator of LETRS Embracing reading science to improve outcomes At Read Charlotte we use insights from high-quality, rigorous research to seek leverage points that can help our community improve early literacy from birth through third grade. For example, we learned a few years ago through local data that the entire size of the third grade reading a ..read more

When Derrin Gleaton found that his oldest son wasn’t connecting with reading – he said he just didn’t like it – he was determined to help, and to show his son how much fun books can be. Derrin decided to write his own children’s book, to help inspire a love of reading in his son and other children in the community. The process ended up being an inspiring one for him, as well, as he went on to write two additional children’s books and regularly visits Charlotte-area schools to read them. “He donates his books and time to the schools and the children, just to see the smiles on their faces,” sai ..read more

The work Rhiannon Polite does as principal at Lebanon Road Elementary School has a ripple effect, positively impacting not just students at the school, but also their families and communities. “As a school principal who leads with love and joy, she is making a profound difference in the lives of the children under her care,” said Lea Oglesby. “Her positive influence brings hope to their families and ultimately helps build a stronger, more cohesive community. This transformative impact not only shapes the future of the child but also positively ripples through all those connected to that child ..read more

Kamieon Martin has read to his two young sons daily since their births, and is always looking for new ways to engage them and inspire a love of reading. That commitment inspired his wife, Neisha Martin, to nominate him as a Read Charlotte Reading Hero. “Even on a small scale with two boys, a person can make a significant impact in a community,” Neisha said. “Reading is fundamental, and it starts with just one child’s perspective to make the difference.” She describes her husband as a dedicated father of three (a 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and teenager), who is driven to give his children somethi ..read more

By Whitney Stein On a recent day in a MECK Pre-K classroom, students sat in small groups, working on literacy-building activities like matching synonyms and counting syllables. The end of the school year was nearing, wrapping up a year of learning not just for the students, but also for MECK Pre-K, Read Charlotte, and Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, which administers the MECK Pre-K program.  The three organizations partnered to pilot the use of a literacy platform called A2i Pre-K in 10 classrooms in the 2022-23 school year, with the goal of increasing the number of children who finis ..read more

Collaborative initiative aims to raise awareness around home reading routines and ultimately support strong literacy outcomes for children birth through third grade Charlotte, N.C. — July 11, 2023 — Read Charlotte and a group of 16 partner organizations announced a new initiative today promoting shared reading at home, a strong way to help children develop and grow critical early literacy skills. The Read Together campaign is a collaborative effort to raise awareness among families in Mecklenburg County about the importance of the simple yet powerful practice of establishing routines for regul ..read more

Confidence, character, and a love for reading: These are the things Robert Hayden is focused on instilling in students. He does this through his work as a Media Specialist at Idlewild Elementary School, reading to students, recommending books, developing literacy-based activities, and creating engaging book displays to keep students interested and keep reading top of mind. And in an effort to make reading as accessible as possible to all his students, Hayden created a virtual reading show, where students and staff members take turns reading their favorite stories over Zoom, or just listening ..read more