Our Programs

Reading Allowed was founded in 2019 by Angela Marks who passionately believes that reading is a social justice issue. There are numerous sobering articles and much research that describe the long-term effects of illiteracy in our society.

Current Programs

Accomplishments

Partnerships

Who is Currently Supporting Us

Current Programs

Student Scholarship Fund – For individual students of all ages (K-adult) who require specialized, individualized tutoring. ($4800 per student will provide 96 hours of tutoring throughout the year)
Francis Scott Key School – is a K-6 grade public elementary school located in the Central South Philadelphia neighborhood. It is a part of the School District of Philadelphia. 83% of its more than 500 students come from economically disadvantaged families. It has the highest ELL population of any school in the city.
Visitation BVM School – is a private school in Kensington that has served as a beacon of hope to the children and families of Kensington for more than 130 years. Following the teachings of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, the faculty and staff strive to provide each child with the fundamental skills needed to be successful global citizens.
Reading Allowed will provide small group and individual instruction to struggling readers as well as helping faculty to implement best structured literacy practices.
General Meade Elementary School – is a K-8 grade public elementary school located in North Philadelphia. 100% of students come from economically disadvantaged families.

Reading Allowed will be increasing the number of students receiving individual instruction and supporting grade 1 with small group support in the 2022/23 school year.
Mastery Charter School – Wister Campus – is a K-5 charter school in the East Germantown section of Philadelphia. 95-100% of students come from economically disadvantaged families. Reading Allowed will provide small group instruction to struggling readers in grades K-2.
The Village Of Norristown (VON) – is a missional outreach of Fairview Village Church. This organization serves approximately 50 underserved students in their after school program. Many of these students are English Language Learners who are reading significantly below grade level. Reading Allowed will provide guidance to volunteer instructors, and provide small group and individual instruction.
Wilson Reading System® Certification Program – Through a generous grant from The William Penn Foundation, Reading Allowed is expanding and diversifying its pool of structured literacy tutors by funding the certification of 15 tutors. We have a waiting list of 30 candidates hoping to become certified. With more funding, we will continue to increase this number to ensure we have a diverse pool of highly qualified individuals to support our growing number of students.
Reading Allowed Speaker Series – Reading Allowed will be hosting a Speaker Series beginning in the fall of 2022. The theme will be, “Reading is a Social Justice Issue.” The series will be kicked off with a panel discussion at The Free Library of Philadelphia with panelist Kelly Richards, Executive Director of the Free Library, Hilderbrand Pelzer III, Ernie Ortiz and other notable Philadelphia literacy leaders.
The Right to Read Film Screening – Reading Allowed will host a screening of the film, The Right to Read, which shares the stories of a courageous activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.
Science of Reading Community of Practice – Reading Allowed is committed to staying at the forefront of research into the Science of Reading and ensuring that best practices are implemented in the classroom. Teachers and literacy leaders meet to share ideas, challenges, resources, research, etc. about all things literacy related—from writing to close reading, from anti-racist teaching to culturally responsive education, and from engaging students virtually to meeting the needs of our students who struggle.

Accomplishments

50+ structured literacy tutors worked with over 200 individual students from all over the Philadelphia region on our sliding scale model
Reading Allowed is the recipient of generous grants from the Connelly Foundation and the K-10 Foundation that will enable us to offer student literacy tutoring and to provide support for structured literacy tutoring over a one year period for eligible students in third through eighth grade at Visitation BVM School in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Reading Allowed received a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation to support students in need of reading support services through the implementation and advancement of student literacy tutoring, faculty support services, and scientifically-backed literacy practices in classrooms at Visitation BVM School and Mastery Charter School for the 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 academic years. The William Penn Foundation provides lead support for this programming. Research For Action will support evaluation efforts.
Through a generous grant from The William Penn Foundation, Reading Allowed is expanding and diversifying its pool of structured literacy tutors by funding the certification of 15 instructors. We have a waiting list of 30 candidates hoping to become certified. With more funding, we will continue to increase this number to ensure we have a diverse pool of highly qualified individuals to support our growing number of students.

Partnerships