You're reading this because somebody taught you how. You became somebody, as a result. At Lit, we're building a world in which everybody gets to be somebody.

Reading Is Believing

Our Mission

Lit is creating a world where every kid, everywhere, is a reader. Today, just one-third of U.S. fourth graders are reading proficiently. Research tells us that 95% can learn to read. It’s not where we’re born that matters. It’s how we are taught to read that matters. That’s why we’re on a mission to bring evidence-based instruction to all kids. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote of a “cosmic urgency” driving the need for social change. We feel that same cosmic urgency today. Read more about our mission…

Reading Is Science

Our Foundation

Studies show us that the human brain is naturally wired for speech, but not for reading. Reading needs to be taught, and how it is taught can make the difference in a student’s development. Our foundation is a body of research known as the “science of reading” that explains how we learn to read and what gets in the way. What’s often missing is how to translate that research into actual practice across complex systems. That’s where Lit comes in. Read more about who we are…

Reading Is Listening

Our Approach

That’s not a metaphor. Science tells us that a knack for reading is deeply, directly connected to the sounds of words when they’re spoken. And in the classroom, progress accelerates when we listen for the stories that students are telling us — and pay attention to the stories that energize their minds. A liberating, invigorating alchemy takes place whenever kids make contact with a text that sets their minds in motion. But how does that contact happen in the first place? Success depends on fostering a genuine ecosystem for listening and reading, and that’s what Lit brings to each one of our partnerships. Our methods foster an environment in which educational breakthroughs can happen. And do. Just listen.

Reading Needs An Ecosystem

What We Do

At Lit, we specialize in helping leaders design, implement, and sustain every element of their reading ecosystem, from the instructional materials in teachers’ hands to the data systems that drive decision making. By translating the science of reading into actionable and scalable strategies, we help leaders build the knowledge, skills, habits, and mindsets that lead to consistent and effective reading instruction for all kids. Read more about what we do…

“Lit is our highest-quality and highest-caliber partner. Our school is better for children because of our work with Lit.”
– Eddie Rangel, Executive Director, Adelante Schools