The Read to Rise program aims to improve children's reading abilities through reading aloud and interactive reading activities. It maximizes positive outcomes such as children becoming more self-confident, focused learners with stronger language skills. Research shows reading aloud helps brain development and is critical for early learning, as early experiences influence how children's brains develop. The program is intended to create a lifelong practice of reading and support from families, schools and communities.

1. Read to Rise Building Blocks
Bridge Foundation
Excerpts from the Read to Rise Resource
Book

2. We give books, build libraries and support families
What We Know
No doubt, early reading helps with a child’s healthy brain development
When reading, a child’s brain is stimulated and read-a loud and sharing of ideas about stories facilitate a child’s critical
thinking, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening skills, and imagination including a bonding experience between parent and
child.
By 8 months, a brain has about 1,000 trillion nerve connections and by age 10, it is reduced to 500 trillion. According to
leading early childhood experts, the brain operates on a “use it or lose it” basis and they have found that early experiences
are the defining factors affecting the rate of reduction in nerve connections.
Reading aloud improves more attentive and more focused
learners through reading aloud and
children’s reading abilities, mastery of
language development, listening skills, interactive reading.
attention span and even their
curiosity for learning.
more predictions about stories
Interactive Reading improves the through constant interactive
interaction between parent and child discussions .
creates the fun in reading for children. The
more a parent reads to a child, the more
the child will appreciate the reading
experience. more self-confident learners; more articulated and
pronounced expressions ,conveyed with confidence
Reading is a learned behavior, the more the over time.
child is motivated to read until he or she
becomes a young adult to do it on their own.
offers positive reinforcement, encouragement and comfort which
creates a wonderful school and home learning environment.
Family Reading is beneficial to parents
and leads to more parents reading and
even for parents who are not proficient
readers themselves.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation

3. Documented Practice A Report of the
Commission on Reading
Reading aloud to children is a well-
found that:
documented practice to improve “The most simple and most important
children’s reading abilities, mastery activity for building the knowledge required
for eventual success is reading and reading
of language development, listening
aloud to a child."
skills, attention span and even their
Reading aloud and interactive reading
curiosity for learning.
both offer positive reinforcement,
The interaction between parent and
encouragement and comfort which create a
child creates the fun in reading for wonderful school and home learning
children. The more a parent reads environment.
to a child, the more the child will
appreciate the reading experience.
The Report of the Commission on Reading is
published by University of Illinois, Becoming a
Nation of Readers.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation

4. Positive Outcomes general language development and not as a
discrete skill isolated from listening,
The Read to Rise program (RR) maximizes
speaking and writing.
on positive outcomes of reading and
reading aloud to children: Listening and interactive reading are
different and should be both viewed as two
Positive 1 Children become self-confident
equally important activities in a child’s
learners.
reading development. Listening is the very
Positive 2 Children articulated first learned skill. The listening activity is
expressions are more pronounced and primarily instructive while interactive
conveyed with confidence over time. reading is primarily speaking,
conversational and open-ended.
Positive 3 Children are attentive and
become more focused learners through Interactive reading for very young children
reading aloud and participating in helps to improve vocabulary and to
interactive reading. develop language comprehension long
Positive 4 Children are able to make more before he/she can read a single
predictions about stories word. Interactive reading
through constant helps to connect sounds to
interactive discussions words and creates visual
about a book or several connections. For older
books. children, interactive reading
helps to deepen their
Listening and understanding of the story
Interactive through the interaction of the
Reading adult who shares their insight, their
perspective and expressive language.
The Commission report states that
Sometimes adults are just listeners and their
proponents of emerging literacy argue that
interaction is demonstrated through their
reading must be seen as part of child’s
affirming body language.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation

5. Life Time Practice
The Bridge Foundation believes that the
Read to Rise (RR) programme will
put into place a life time practice of
reading for children. Reading is a
learned behaviour; the more a child
is encouraged and supported to
read, the more the child is motivated
to read until he or she becomes a
young adult to do it on their own.
Research shows that family reading
is beneficial to parents and even
leads to more parents reading, and
especially for parents who are not
proficient readers themselves.
The practice of Read to Rise (RR) is
intended to become an institutional
practice in schools and to encourage the
creation of fun reading spaces.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation

6. Evidenced-Based A Scientific Fact
The Bridge Foundation’s Read to Rise By 8 months, a brain has about 1,000
(RR) programme benefits from extensive trillion nerve connections and by age 10, it
research conducted by universities and is reduced to 500 trillion. According to
recognized early literacy programs that leading early childhood experts, the brain
support the practice of early reading in a operates on a “use it or lose it” basis and
classroom or at home. they have found that early experiences are
the defining factors affecting the rate of
No doubt, early reading helps with a
reduction in nerve connections.
child’s healthy brain development. When a
child reads, his or her brain is stimulated.
As a result, Read-a-loud and the sharing
of ideas about stories facilitate a child’s
critical thinking, vocabulary, pronunciation,
listening skills and imagination. This also
creates a bonding experience between
parent and child.
The American Academy of Paediatrics
(AAP) strongly recommends reading to
children every day, starting after they are
first born because reading stimulates the
development of the brain, language and a
closer relationship with a child.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation

7. A Complementary A Lasting Partnership
Program
Read to Rise (RR) complements all
Read to Rise (RR) should become a
different types of reading strategies permanent institutional practice.
taught in schools and embraces a balanced Once the Read to Rise (RR) programme is
approach reading framework that attends long gone, the
to a child’s reading needs within the school has the tools to carry on the
programme.
context of their development.
A balanced approach pays attention to
Children drive the process
phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
Teachers implement the process
vocabulary and text comprehension all of
which help a child identify words Administrators promote the process
accurately, fluently and construct Parents & Family Members encourage the
process.
meanings once words are formed.
Excerpts from Read to Rise resource book developed by the Bridge Foundation