Read to Run

Third and Fourth grade reading competency is often linked to future success. A child’s struggle to read in the third and fourth grades can lead to a lifetime of underperformance. A recent study on the State of Student Learning in 2023 found that only 50% of fourth-grade students read at their grade level, a three percent drop from 2019.

Read to Run is a simple program designed to provide teachers with an extra incentive for these young students to focus on their reading.

Read to Run at a glance:

1. Students are challenged to read 10 extracurricular age-appropriate and reading level-appropriate books of their choice within 12 weeks. Teachers are encouraged to approve the books the students choose to ensure that they are choosing age-appropriate books at or above their reading level.

2. Teachers monitor the students’ reading progress to ensure that the books are completed.

Many teachers in prior Read to Run programs also asked their students to write book reports. Although not required, this is encouraged to engage the students with their reading further.
Teachers have control over the specifics of the curriculum.

3. Upon completion, the students earn a brand-new pair of running shoes courtesy of the Coalition for Literacy.

4. The students participate in a community “fun run” with their peers to celebrate their accomplishments and test and show off their new running shoes.

The Coalition for Literacy is interested in supporting Read to Run programs for 3^rd and 4th-grade students in schools with reading test scores in the lower 20 percentile.

A successful program depends on the participation of classroom teachers, school administrators, and parents.

The Coalition for Literacy supplies the shoes, the schools administer the reading program, and hopefully, together, we can spark an interest in reading among the next generation.

To be considered, simply email info@coalitionforliteracy.org and let us know the school and district name, the number of 3^rd and 4th-grade students, and the primary contact of who will administer and oversee the program.