
Who We Are
The Literacy Coalition is a coalition of parents and experience professionals who clearly understand how the inability to read can affect children academically as well socially. Children who struggle to read “feel different” from their peers at an early age. As educators, we know when children have difficulty with reading, all academic learning suffers. As parents, we know when a child struggles to read it can lead to behavior problems in later grades and in life beyond school. We believe it is important to have Educators and Parents work together so ALL children can learn to read.
Why We Do What We Do

The combination of parents and experience professionals involved with the Literacy Coalition ensures we clearly understand the inability to read and how this affects children socially as well and makes them “feel different” from their peers. When children have difficulty with reading, all academic learning suffers and may lead to behavior problems in later grades. Less than 40 percent of Pennsylvania’s public school 4th-grade students’ demonstrated proficiency on the 2015 NAEP1 assessment, and this percentage have remained unchanged since 2011. Because children entering Kindergarten start with varying skill levels, it is important to identify and provide the necessary skills in the beginning of their academic career for success. Early intervention can prevent failure later in the child’s educational career.
How We Do What We Do

Working with Schools:
Sustainability and Systematic Tools to Achieve Reading Success (SSTARS)
Helping school districts make changes in how they are teaching reading by continuing the work of the pilot program with the SSTARS program, (link to Why Reading is Important and What makes a good Reading Program)
Working with SLP’s:
Speech and Language Therapist: Understanding Their Role in Early Literacy Skills. Training Speech and Language Therapist and/or school team members the role of school speech and language therapists understand in developing early language and literacy skills of children ages 3 to 9 years old.
Working with Schools, Teachers, Administrators, Parents and Students:
Assistive Technology Development and Consulting: working with school districts to develop an Assistive Technology plan for students in middle and high school so they can “keep up” with their peers. Providing assistance for students and families to understand specific technologies can meet the needs of their child.