Make Reading Fun - Build Confidence, Change Lives

Our story began as I walked into my youngest son's first-grade parent-teacher conference. I was anxious. I was concerned about his progress in school. Zachary was a smart kid, but often struggled with focus and verbal communication. I took a seat at the tiny table, and braced myself for what his teacher had to say. Who has been here before?

Mrs. Smith explained that he was at the bottom of his class in reading.

Wait - what? We read every night at bedtime. As a single parent with time stretched thin, how do I maximize those moments?

For some kids this works - for others, like my own son - who face a challenge such as ADD or ADHD, are on the spectrum or even dyslexia - it didn't.

The truth is that 68% of 4th grade students FAILED to score proficient as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2022. Now you can point to the pandemic, but the fact is that scores have not shown much improvement in the past 30 years.

This is despite the 'advances' we've had in digital, screen-based programming. The only statistics that are increasing are the number of children being diagnosed with challenges and delays. Our tool does not use a blue-light emitting screen and rather than promoting isolation, we encourage a shared experience between teacher and learner. It is evident our tool and technique has shown real benefit for students, including improved test scores, increased literacy rates and a greater focus on the teacher-student and parent-child relationship. There is a better way forward for education, and we're proud to be a part of it.

'Necessity is the Mother of Invention'

How did this technique work for my own son?

The results were remarkable - in just seven short weeks, only using at bedtime - he went from the bottom of his class all the way to the top!

In fact, 143 consecutive children have had their eye-gaze drawn to the highlight, and parents reported increases of up to 1150% in productive reading time. That's a staggering improvement. Imagine what that means for retention. That's the next step we're working on, and you can help.

Your donation will directly impact the literacy journey of students by funding a pilot program in partnership with FireTree Place in Williamsport, PA.

FireTree Place is a nonprofit community center, with childcare license, focused on youth development. They strive to build stronger communities through educational, recreational, art and social programs for the city of Williamsport and Lycoming County families. They provide several youth and adult programs, such as Before School Care, After-School Club, Summer Camp, Youth Football & Cheer, and multiple other programs.

Your financial support will allow us to create a life changing tutoring program while affording us the opportunity to measure the efficacy of our tool and technique. In addition to advancing their literacy skills, you will empower these same students with the self-confidence that will serve them throughout their lives.

Thank you for your consideration in supporting our journey. We appreciate your time and attention, and we're honored that you're considering our organization. While we understand that you can't give to all of the amazing causes on this platform, every dollar counts. Your support will make a real difference in our journey and the children we are able to support, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Additionally, if you believe a program such as this would be of value in your area - please reach out via email and we will explore how we can support the children in your community.

More information about Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships: Established in 2004, the Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships (IFERS) is an award-winning California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organization dedicated to improving society by conducting scientific and social research as well as being a fiscal sponsor for 150+ humanitarian projects. We believe in changing the world for the better through education, research, and scholarships.