Freedom Readers program increases student interest in the science of reading

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During the June Indianapolis City-County Council’s Education Committee meeting, the committee heard a presentation from RISE Indy.

What Happened?

RISE Indy Vice President of Community Affairs Duane Ingram introduced the Freedom Readers program.

Ingram said the program covers three core values: centering students, empowering families to be advocates, and encouraging educators to have flexibility and autonomy to meet each student’s needs.

Summary

Ingram traveled to Oakland, California, with Mayor Joe Hogsett and Councilor Keith Graves, to learn about the Freedom Readers program and how to bring it to Indianapolis.

Ingram said the program model uses workshops for families in areas like math and financial literacy. Cooking literacy is also offered, teaching students to read recipes, measure ingredients, and calculate cooking or baking times.

“We’re trying to find fun ways to create opportunities for families to engage with literacy, and to get excited about this work,” Ingram said.

Part of the program focuses on the science of reading, which has five categories: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Takeaway

Ingram shared positive program outcomes. He said nearly 74% of local Freedom Readers increased reading accuracy. 69% of students began choosing more challenging material, and 74% improved their reading speed.

After the presentation, Counselor Graves opened the floor for questions from the committee.

Counselor Bain asked how RISE Indy is funded. Ingram said RISE doesn’t receive public funding but does receive support from organizations like The Lilly Endowment, Indianapolis Urban League, and Central Indiana Community Foundation, among others.

Counselor Perkins suggested Ingram provide more hard data to gauge reading proficiency and program growth.

Counselor Graves shared his approval of the program. “We have to empower our parents so they can empower our children,” he said.

What’s Next?

The next Education Committee meeting is 5:30 p.m., July 9 at 200 East Washington Street in meeting room 260.

This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenter Kelli Jack-Kelly, who covered the May Indianapolis City-County Council’s Education Committee. Read more about what happened here. Want to join Documenters? Learn more here.