After more than 50 years of success with print book-focused reading programs, Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has partnered with d’Vinci Interactive to create a portal of online resources to foster a love of reading and literacy development in children in the United States.
The flagship product, Literacy Central, features more than 6,000 literacy resources for educators and parents to use with Pre-K, elementary and middle school students. Literacy Central, which won the 2018 Parents’ Choice Silver Award for websites, includes activities, games, interactive reading passages, lesson plans, and videos paired with classic and popular books – all available for free. Users search by theme, grade level, or keyword to find their favorite authors and illustrators and then download free resources designed specifically for that book. Since the launch of Literacy Central six months ago, more than 1,000 educators and parents have created curriculum folders on the site.
Features include a Puzzle Creator Tool, interactive calendars and a mobile app to connect educators with thousands of free resources, just by scanning a book’s barcode. d’Vinci also created tools for teachers and parents to track a student’s reading progress.
“The creation of Literacy Central and the related tools have given RIF a whole new audience,” said Ed DeLeon, chief program & content officer at Reading Is Fundamental. “d’Vinci has created tools that can grow with our organization. They have been involved with every step of the product creation – from technology leadership to content creation and managing feedback from stakeholders,” he added.
The tools are making an impact in communities and schools across the country. “I have known and benefited from RIF my entire life,” said Michelle Hammond, Emporia State University Library Dean and William Allen White Literacy Foundation Board Member. “These new Literacy Central tools have energized the schools in Emporia and are making a significant difference. We use the Literacy Central puzzles, interactive calendars and mobile app in the classroom and for outreach to parents.”