Program Outcomes
Ready Readers is Making a Difference
This year, the Board of Directors and the staff of Ready Readers embarked on a plan to measure the effectiveness of the program. After the Ready Readers Outcome Study Committee defined the scope of the study, Westgate Research was hired. The purpose of the study was to determine effectiveness of the program, and its success in affecting the attitudes and emergent literacy skills of the preschool-aged children served.
In Spring 2010, a questionnaire was hand-delivered to all 357 teachers involved with the Ready Readers program. Teachers from three types of early childhood education programs were represented: the early childhood programs in the St. Louis Public Schools; the Head Start Programs; and other early childhood programs which may be for profit, United Way, or faith-based. In addition, a questionnaire was delivered or mailed to 420 volunteers currently reading for Ready Readers. The overall response rate from the teachers was 63% and from the volunteers it was 41%.
The mission of Ready Readers is to inspire preschool age children from low-income communities to become readers. Results indicate that 90% of the teachers surveyed believe that Ready Readers GREATLY contributes to their students’ enjoyment of books.
One of the goals of Ready Readers is to enhance early literacy skills, including print awareness, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and print motivation. All are essential skills that a child needs before reading independently. Ninety-eight (98%) of the teachers surveyed believe that Ready Readers is enhancing the literacy skills of their students.
Click here to view the Executive Summary of the 2010 Ready Readers Outcome Study.
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