For Parents: Why is my child in Read Better Be Better?
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We are a Nonprofit After-School Reading Comprehension Program
Read Better Be Better is the only nonprofit organization in Arizona that engages youth leaders to help solve the state’s literacy crisis.
Third Grade Reading Level is a Student's Critical Turning Point
What if there was a reliable yet unexpected predictor for a child's future, that could set the course for the rest of their life? Let us introduce you to the very real and very critical third grade turning point, where children with reading difficulties can quickly be left behind.
This is the last year a student learns how to read and next year, they must be able to read to learn entirely on their own. Most students missing key concentration and comprehension skills will falter in later grades. They will struggle with school, develop behavior problems, and drop out early.
Social Innovation to Change Arizona's Future
Read Better Be Better is a program targeted towards breaking the cycles of poverty and social injustice through our curriculum of good reading and good thinking skills. Books and learning hold the key to doing well in grades 4 and above, where students must start reading on their own to learn. It is at this critical juncture that the poor readers turn away from school, or earn barely passing grades until they can drop out. Literacy holds the key, and third grade is the precise moment to change their trajectory.
Why the Read Better Be Better Program is So Effective
We pair middle schoolers with third grade students at risk, creating a supportive learning environment and leadership opportunity.
100% of students showed improved concentration, reading comprehension, and enjoyment of reading after one semester. - RBBB Teacher Evaluations
Our program is highly structured and evidence informed in every aspect.
93% of students rated themselves on the Reader Self-Perception Scale and "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they read better now. - RBBB Student Evaluations
Read More Impact Results
Dr. Dave is the Read Better Be Better mascot who reminds our students to Be Excellent. Be Kind.
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Part Time Jobs With RBBB
We need site leaders! Current Openings
Teacher Appreciation Week: A Tribute to Arizona’s Teachers
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela (Tweet this) Teachers aren’t superheroes in the traditional form. They don’t wear capes, leap tall buildings in a single bound, or shoot webs from their hands. And yet, their powers are life-changing. They work tirelessly to help children […]
SUCCESS! RBBB Littles & Bigs Made Excellent Progress in Fall 2018-19
Nothing makes a robot happier than raw data — and can you blame us? Converting quantitative and qualitative data into valuable (and actionable!) insights is the definition of “fun” in our book. But since not everyone defines fun the same way, I’m the one tasked with compiling Read Better Be Better’s reports and I couldn’t […]
Meet our newest supporting partner:
Third Grade and Literacy, The Facts
Students who can’t read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.
Donald J. Hernandez, Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Center. Fifty Top Literacy Statistics
Seven in ten of America’s inmates are unable to read above a fourth grade level.
2Write Express Corporation. “Literacy Statistics.” Begin to Read. Accessed February 24, 2015. Do Something
The percent of fourth graders in Arizona that read at the proficient level, slightly less than the national average of 35%.
2017 NAEP Scores. Cronkite News
Two thirds of students who cannot read by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare.
Curious or surprised? See our Video Library for more information on third grade and why it's such an important time in a student's life.