Read Houston Read

Since the 2014-2015 academic year, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation has been a strategic partner of HISD's Read Houston Read initiative. Read Houston Read Volunteers commit 30 minutes each week to work one-on-one with first- and second-graders, giving them the additional support they need to improve their reading skills.

Using curated picture books, as well as read aloud guides and activities developed by the Children’s Museum Houston, volunteers help build a child’s fluency, comprehension, phonics, and spelling skills. Working with the same students throughout the school year, volunteers make a real difference in the life of a child, building relationships that make lasting impressions on students’ self-esteem, ability to learn, and ultimate success.

Since the program’s inception, hundreds of students have had a Read Houston Read mentor across more than 50 HISD elementary schools.

Read Houston Read Outcomes

An evaluation of the program conducted by HISD’s Office of Research & Accountability in 2017 validated the efficacy of the Read Houston Read program. Specifically, by the end of the 2016-2017 school year, more first grade students who participated in Read Houston Read showed reading growth compared to their peers who did not have a mentor through the program.

12.7%

The proportion of English language Read Houston Read students who needed intervention at the year-end program conclusion reduced by 12.7 percent from 73.1 to 60.4.

12.7%

The proportion of Read Houston Read English learners who met reading expectations or read at an advanced level increased from 26.9 percent to 39.6 percent.

By ethnicity, the largest proportion of English learners who met expected or advanced reading levels at the end of the year were Black mentees.

Interested in learning more about the impact of Read Houston Read?

Download our program evaluation report.

Download Report

Story of Impact

Hear Mimie Taylor’s Story

“Research on reading aloud or reading to children has been shown to have social and emotional benefits, positive impacts on their language and literacy development, and motivation to read.”

— Mimie Taylor

What people are saying…

“The one-on-one makes a tremendous difference in [students'] confidence in their ability to identify sight words and comprehension.”

— Brian Doyle, Northline Elementary School Principal (former)

"Reading can be such an relationship builder. Each of our scholars have grown tremendously. It goes back to those scholars understand that this person is coming and investing in them, loves them, and going to come and read with them."

— Amy Poerschke, Garcia Elementary Assistant Principal (former)