Literacy Gap Eased by Local NonProfit That Helps Children SOAR

School is back in session, and many students are finding their reading skills are lagging. Does your child need a little help getting on track?

September marks National Literacy Month, and struggling young readers are finding effective, no-cost help through the local nonprofit, Sing Out and Read (SOAR).

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Early literacy is a critical predictor of long-term academic success.

SOAR offers a proven, community-based model for closing reading gaps by using music and singing. This coaching model pairs structured literacy instruction with music, rhythm, and daily family practice.

"We have seen the success first-hand that the SOAR program has had on dozens of children from First Tee – Tampa Bay," says Ian Baxter, SOAR board member and executive director of First Tee – Tampa Bay. "Monitoring the progress in reading comprehension of the kids in the program is heartwarming. We know that this program is fundamentally changing lives. SOAR empowers struggling readers to catch up with, and even surpass, their peers in the classroom. The investment in these kids' lives at this early age will undoubtedly pay incalculable dividends to them, their families, and society as a whole."

Five years of research conducted with the University of South Florida's College of Education found that struggling readers using SOAR's approach gained a full year of reading level in three months. The program has grown from serving 50 families to more than 500 in a recent 12-month period.

SOAR grew out of an unexpected discovery when Tampa native Carlo Franzblau build a software program to help him sing lullabies to his children. He offered it to teachers who tried the program with struggling readers and they were amazed to find that children's reading scores jumped significantly. Franzblau and his wife began to offer it widely, at no cost, to low-income children, and SOAR was elevated.

The program is now offered to schools, families, and community organizations to deliver structured reading support, technology access, and coaching that empowers children to thrive.

More information is available at www.SingOutandRead.org.