Literacy is one of the most vital skills in childhood development. Yet in Louisiana, many young readers still struggle to reach grade-level reading proficiency—a challenge both educators and families work hard to overcome. Enter Louisiana Reads!™, a family-centered initiative from the Center for Literacy and Learning that helps families turn reading into a shared journey at home.
The Center for Literacy and Learning, a nonprofit based in New Orleans, started as a literacy coaching program providing professional development for teachers, grounded in research and evidence-based practices.
Recently, the center introduced the Louisiana Reads! initiative, shifting its focus to give parents these opportunities for the first time. “Our goal was to give children access to books, build those at-home libraries, and provide resources for families,” says Monique Jolla, Director of Family and Community Initiatives. Parents receive the tools, books, and confidence to combine classroom learning with natural family moments, encouraging lifelong reading habits.
Inside the Initiative
The program is divided into several components: workshops, book distributions, a texting service, and a mobile app. It operates through partnerships with organizations and schools across the state. A Louisiana Reads! van keeps the initiative moving, transporting materials and Jolla’s team throughout Louisiana.
Workshops include book distributions, presentations on the skill sets and standards children need at each stage of development, and interactive stations where parents learn strategies they can use at home. The program serves children from birth through 12th grade. Post-workshop surveys gather follow-up responses. “We get feedback not just from parents, but from the teachers, schools, and organizations that we service, too,” Jolla explains.
Representation and access remain central to the initiative, especially in the books distributed. “Black and brown characters, positive affirmations, girl power, history—those are some of the themes our books focus on,” says Jolla.
After each event, a child leaves with a book, growing their personal library. “Having the children come to the table and make a decision on a book to take home—those moments are organically made,” she says.
The Lightbulb, a text messaging system, sends literacy tips tailored to specific grade levels along with corresponding activities. The mobile app features a parent portal with self-help resources and recorded read-aloud story times.
“Teachers may be the only ones to see a disconnect. Parents sometimes don’t understand what a skilled reader looks like. Our program is built on all of those things that we know are missing pieces—and for parents to have those ‘aha moments,’” says Jolla.
The Difference at Home
In the past year, literacy scores have risen across Louisiana. “We contribute a lot of that success to the work that we do here at the Center, because not only are some of our schools involved in Louisiana Reads!, we also have schools that are a part of our other programs,” says Jolla.
To Jolla, the power of bonding and talking with one’s child is something she wishes every Louisiana family understood. “It’s the simple form of language—the engagement that happens in the home. The bonding, organic times where the parents see their child make connections beyond just reading.”
Jolla explains that parents are their child’s first educator. Children are always watching and absorbing what they see. Empowering parents with the understanding is exactly why Jolla—and the Center—does this work. And in a state working to turn the page on literacy challenges, Louisiana Reads! help families reach the next chapter together.
For more information about The Center for Literacy and Learning and Louisiana Reads!, visit mycll.org.