READ TO ME INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

Read To Me International’s (RTMI) mission is: To share the love and joy of reading aloud to children. Our goal is that every child will be read to every day.

Reading provides the foundation for a great education as well as a lifelong skill that brings not only knowledge, but pleasure.

Research on reading and learning to read shows that there are things that can be done at home from an early age that help children become successful as readers.
However, parents must be equipped to support their children to become successful readers.
Our programs build parents’ skills, influences behavior changes, increases knowledge, provides parents with group support throughout the program, and equips parents with resources, which in turn boost their confidence in how to read to their children.
This increased confidence allows parents to better support their children to become more successful readers.

To achieve our mission, we have implemented the following programs:

Parent Programs
● A six-week Parent Coaching Program, RTM10 (read to me 10 minutes a day), is offered in under-resourced communities where adults learn the skills and develop the confidence to read aloud daily to their children. Also, the graduates of the program participate in alumni activities designed to keep them engaged in their child’s education. This program now has over 100 graduates. (Note: Children spend 900 hours in school and 7800 in the home, annually. This program promotes “parents as first teachers.”)
● Haku Mo‘olelo is the focus of this application; this program began in 2016 with 57 published books.
● Other prison projects: This year 56 inmates at Waiawa and 42 inmates on Kaua’i have recorded stories and sent the tapes home to their children.

School Presentations
School presentations involve reading directly to the children in the classroom. They also serve as professional development for staff at various schools. Last year, more than twenty-three hundred (2300) individuals learned about the benefits of reading aloud and listened to stories told using best-practice, “read-aloud” techniques.

Events
• Host annual national-quality conferences open to parents, educators, caregivers. Topics include strategies to improve reading instruction and guided oral reading.
• Attend or plan community events to promote reading.

The entire RTMI staff is committed and well-trained to deploy and onboard programs and staff, respectively. Staff possesses experience, leadership skills, and abilities necessary to effectively operate the program and support its participants. Through relationship building and partnering with other service providers, RTMI also has a cadre of volunteers who readily assist at programs and events.

HAKU MO‘OLELO (To “Compose Stories”)
A parent-coaching curriculum designed for residents of
the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC).
Participants write, illustrate, and record their own children’s
storybooks, which are sent home to their children along with
the audio recording.
• Over 60 books published
• 100% of participants agree or strongly agree that they
learned more ways to engage their children in reading
through the program

READERS RALLIES
A program for formerly homeless families living at
Kahauiki Village, an affordable plantation-style community.
All residents are invited to quarterly readers rallies, which
combine read aloud activities with musical entertainment.
• 30 families attended Readers Rallies
• 120 books were given to children, who chose their own
books at the rally

READ, REVIVE, RESTORE
A session for residents of State community correctional facilities
to read and audio-record age-appropriate books for their children.
Incarcerated parents record reading aloud a child’s storybook and
send both the book and audio recording to their children.
• 375 books and recordings were sent home to children from
incarcerated family members
• 90% of Maui Community Correctional Center program
participants plan to read aloud more because of the program

RTM10 (“READ TO ME 10 MINUTES A DAY”)
A weekly comprehensive parent-coaching program offered to
families in Nānākuli and Wai‘anae. Coaches provide parents with
reading strategies and resources to practice in class, then apply it
with their children at home and school.
• 100% of participants report having more confidence when
reading aloud to their children
• 100% of participants read to their children at least three times
a week and incorporated new read aloud tips learned in class

READ TO ME LITERACY CONFERENCE
An annual, national-quality conference providing educators, parents, and
caregivers with read-aloud strategies and resources to nurture and grow
children’s love of reading.
• 95% of conferee survey respondents identified a strategy, technique,
tool, or resource they will use with children related to an area of reading
instruction or guided oral reading
• 100% of participants reported that the conference met their professional
development needs