United WE READ Continues Serving Students in Summer 2020.

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Over 1,000 books were given to Greater Kingsport students and families through school feeding sites and at a local apartment complex.

United WE READ was set to offer our 4th annual Camp Read to Lead this summer (see 2019’s summary here)! With a generous grant from the Ballad Health Foundation, we were excited to continue offering this successful program to 1st and 2nd grade students. But then, the COVID-19 Pandemic swept the globe, life changed, and we knew we needed to pivot the experience.

Thanks to the help of our wonderful United WE READ summer teachers and the strategic guidance of our leadership team, we successfully transformed our operation to safely offer a 4-week book distribution and online read-aloud experience. Over 1,000 books were given to Greater Kingsport students and families through school feeding sites and at a local apartment complex. Our United WE READ teachers also took turns reading aloud to students via interactive Zoom calls and YouTube live videos.

Re-watch our 4-week YouTube series below! Thank you to our United WE READ teachers for making this summer successful!

What do you do with an idea? Follow along as Ms. Jamie reads the story What Do You Do With An Idea? written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom.
Where do stories come from? What makes a story? Follow along as Ms. Ali reads “I Am A Story” written by Dan Yaccarino.
Have you ever made a mistake? How can you change a “mistake” into something wonderful? Follow along as Ms. Diane reads “The Book of Mistakes” by Corinna Luyken.
What do you do with a problem? Follow along as Ms. Ali reads the story “What Do You Do With A Problem? written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom.

Resources for Families Learning Together at Home | Our Response to COVID-19 Closures

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Families, while you and your students are home due to many COVID-19 precautionary closures, United WE READ remains committed to our mission of “engaging, empowering, and equipping all children, families, and the Greater Kingsport community with tools and strategies that build a literacy rich culture, and a pathway to lifelong success.”

Right now, that pathway to success may take the form of online learning resources, free books for kids, and partnering with our school districts who continue to provide basic needs like breakfast and lunch. Check back here often for an ongoing, updated list of some of the best resources we can round up.

Remember, the best thing you can do to help your student during this time is to be a safe, stable, and nurturing presence in their life. And, as always, we encourage you to “#READ20 Minutes Every Day!”

Basic Needs

Educational Tools

Mental Health & Physical Well-being

Happy Valentine’s Day! | Fall in Love with Reading

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Our local Kingsport Public Library‘s Children & Youth Librarian, Ms. Casey Applebaum, compiled some great book choices to get you reading with loved little ones this Valentine’s Day!

Casey’s Top Picks in Each Category. Read on for even more suggestions!

Picture Books

#1 My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

One of my favorite picture books of all time, My Heart is Like a Zoo not only explores the love anyone can have for someone else whether friend, family, or romantic interest, but also shares common zoo animals and a basic characteristic. 

Casey Applebaum

#2 Here Comes Valentine’s Cat by Deborah Underwood
#3 If You’ll Be My Valentine by Cynthia Rylant

Beginning Readers

#1 Llama llama Be My Valentine by Anna Dewdney

Be My  Valentine celebrates the joy of the classroom Valentines Day party and takes on the topic of using your own strengths and abilities to create gifts for others instead of trying to replicate another person’s work.

Casey Applebaum

#2 Melvin’s Valentine by Jon Scieszka
#3 Love is in the Air by Jonathan Fenske

1st-2nd Grade Readers

#1 Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park

Junie B’s teacher tells them they must all bring Valentines for the whole class and when the time comes to distribute them, Junie B recieves an extra Mushy and Gushy one. This title explores the drama of having a secret admirer and trying to figure out who it is in typical silly Junie B. fashion.

Casey Applebaum

#2 Captain Awesome Gets Crushed by Stan Kirby

3rd-5th Grade Readers

Hope you found a new book to love!
Check out more book recommendations and activities on our Valentine’s Pinterest Board. And remember to #READ20 Minutes Every Day!

United WE READ’s Two School District Partners Are Achieving Great Results!

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This week brought significant milestone announcements for both Kingsport City Schools and Sullivan County Department of Education.

United WE READ supports our educators in their daily work to achieve literacy growth for ALL students. So when the official results return and that growth is clearly showcased, we love to highlight their great, ongoing work.

This past spring, we featured the historic gains that Sullivan County Schools have made through their long-range strategy and adoption of the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum (CKLA) with Dr. Robin McClellan championing those efforts. (If you missed our summary, read more here).

Just this week, they announced even further reading growth, achieving“a significant decrease in the number of students with “at-risk” levels of reading proficiency, from 37.8% of students in the fall screening to 26% in the spring screening. This means that the district has 456 fewer elementary students with an “at-risk” designation for reading.” – Dr. Robin McClellan for Kingsport Times-News

Then, with the statewide release of the TN Ready results for the 2018-2019 school year, both districts received high recognition and a combined THIRTEEN local schools were designated as Reward Schools — the highest distinction a school can earn in Tennessee. Read their announcements below to learn more!

Sullivan County Department of Education’s Announcement.
Kingsport City School District’s Announcement.

United WE READ offers our sincere congratulations to both districts on their hard-earned accomplishments. We hope this momentum continues to motivate and inspire educators as they move forward into another great school year!

It’s the support from great partners that allow us to move the needle. We are better together!


– Dr. Jeff Moorhouse, Kingsport City Schools superintendent

Congratulations to United WE READ’s 2019 Camp Read to Lead Students!

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United WE READ’s Camp Read to Lead just completed a fantastic third summer of growth! This exciting camp experience was funded by a partnership between Ballad Health Foundation and United Way of Greater Kingsport and hosted by Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport and Bloomingdale Baptist Church! Our 2019 theme of “Super Reader, Super Self!” focused on each child’s unique talents and strengths–including being great young readers!

Modeled around the successful statewide initiative, “Read to Be Ready,” United WE READ’s program seeks out over 60 students who were behind grade-level assessment in reading ability at the end of the spring semester. The program is structured for teachers to work in a close 5:1 ratio with students for two and a half hours per day over one month, and United WE READ uses the same pre and post-program assessment tools as the state initiative. Each rising 1st and 2nd grade student has an opportunity to gain a love for reading, confidence, improve literacy abilities, build a personal library of nearly 20 new books and other school supplies, and participate in weekly field-trips offering practical, real-world experiences.

In 2019, students showed, on average, a +11.2% gain in accuracy and comprehension over the four week program, and a +2.2% gain in areas such as motivation, value for reading, and self-concept as a reader (All assessments based on Read to Be Ready standardized questionnaire and passages). Additionally (and for the third year in a row),100% of regular attenders maintained or improved reading levels, achieving our goal to reduce the “summer slide” where students can fall behind during summer months.

3rd Annual Camp Read to Lead is Underway!

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United WE READ’s Camp Read to Lead  is currently in operation for a 3rd summer of growth, is funded by a partnership between Ballad Health Foundation and United Way of Greater Kingsport, and is hosted by Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport and Bloomingdale Baptist Church! Our 2019 theme is “Super Reader, Super Self!” focusing on each child’s unique talents and strengths–including being great young readers!

Modeled around the successful statewide initiative, “Read to Be Ready,”  United WE READ’s program seeks out students who were behind grade-level assessment in reading ability at the end of the spring semester. The program is structured for teachers to work in a close 5:1 ratio with students for two and a half hours per day over one month, and United WE READ uses the same pre and post-program assessment tools as the state initiative. Each rising 1st and 2nd grade student has an opportunity to gain a love for reading, confidence, improve literacy abilities, build a personal library of 10-20 new books and other school supplies, and participate in weekly field-trips offering practical, real-world experiences.

In 2018, students showed, on average, a +16.5% gain in accuracy and comprehension over the four week program, and a +5.5% gain in areas such as motivation, value for reading, and self-concept as a reader (All assessments based on Read to Be Ready standardized questionnaire and passages). Additionally, 100% of regular attenders maintained or improved reading levels, achieving our goal to reduce the “summer slide” where students can fall behind during summer months. While we wait for this year’s exciting results, our students had some ideas on how adults can continue to help them: “Read to us.” “Read with us.” and “Listen to us read.”

Summertime – Road Trip Ideas

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It’s summertime and that means many families will be hitting the road for trips, family visits, vacations, or even just the daily shuttling to camps and activities. ( Raise your hand if you’re taking a car ride with kids at any point this summer🖐🏽🖐🏿🖐🏼).

Why not make that car time valuable for brain building, interacting with kids, and keeping minds busy to avoid the dreaded, “Are we there yet?!” questions! We thought this list over on Trunki (an organization that is dedicated to “putting the breaks on tiring travel”!) was a great starting point!

Our United WE READ teachers especially love the “Holiday Journal” idea–all it takes is some blank paper, a little pre-planning, and lots of imagination!
Let’s keep kids reading, writing, listening, and speaking all summer long and fight the summer slide one car ride at a time!

View the ideas from Trunki here! And let us know what you plan to do in the comments below!

Thank you, Robin McClellan, for championing our students!

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United WE READ is grateful for the many educators, leaders, and community members who pour into our students each and every day. On this #InternationalWomensDay, we wanted to give a special shout-out to longtime UWR Leadership Team member and champion for students, Dr. Robin McClellan of Sullivan County Department of Education. Recently, Dr. McClellan has been leading the district through a significant investment into the reading curriculum known as CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts). Through this transition, our students are already showing significant gains! A few highlights:

  • Just from fall 2018 to winter 2019, students with “at-risk” levels of reading proficiency have fallen from 37.8% to 29.9%!
  • That means 351 fewer 1st through 5th graders are considered at-risk in their reading skills!

We can’t wait to see more from Dr. McClellan, Sullivan County Department of Education, and the CKLA curriculum renaissance! To learn more about her work, check out these websites and articles where she has contributed or been featured:

“We Have A National Reading Crisis” in Education Week –By Jaren Myracle, Brian Kingsley, & Robin McClellan

“The Outcomes Stories We Should Be Talking About” on CurriculumMatters.org

“Sullivan’s Elementary Students Show ‘Historic’ Reading Improvements” in the Bristol Herald Courier

“Sullivan County Department of Education Announces Promising Academic Progress in Elementary Reading” on Sullivank12.net

Thank you, Dr. McClellan for engaging,  empowering, and equipping, all children, families, and our Greater Kingsport community with tools and strategies that build a literacy-rich culture, and a pathway to lifelong success!

Happy #InternationalWomensDay!

Read Across America – EVERY Day!

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In celebration of Read Across America Day, United WE READ partnered this year with Roosevelt Elementary School in our local Kingsport City Schools district. We provided books and a grab-bag of items to promote our message which reminds students and families to Read 20 Minutes Every Day! All PreK through 5th grade students at Roosevelt Elementary received a new book for their personal home library and a United WE READ branded bookmark, highlighter, fridge magnet, and family brochure.

Read Across America is a celebration event begun by the National Education Association, and celebrates the birthday of beloved author, Dr. Seuss.

Check out these photos from United WE READ’s own celebration, and then read the Kingsport Times-News coverage of our event or  browse their online Read Across America gallery for more!

Thank you to Dr. Jeff Moorhouse, KCS Superintendent, and the many Roosevelt teachers and staff who planned and coordinated the event!

Local United Ways and Ballad Health Announce Early Grade Reading Partnership

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United Way of Greater Kingsport and the United WE READ Initiative are excited to announce their participation in a regional partnership between Ballad Health and seven area United Ways.

With a $300,000 regional investment committed from the United Ways, Ballad Foundation, and Ballad Health employees, the momentum and support of this partnership ensures that United WE READ can continue to engage, empower, and equip all children, families, and the Greater Kingsport community with tools and strategies that build a literacy-rich culture, and a pathway to lifelong success, expanding on its successful programs and initiatives.

More can be read on the regional partnership through the stories that were reported via WJHL, Kingsport Times-News, and Bristol Herald Courier, among others.

Are you signed up for our newsletters so you hear the latest straight to your inbox? See the official United WE READ Newsletter announcement here, and sign up today!