Reading Inspires by Reading Is Fundamental

Erin Bailey: Welcome to Reading Inspires by Reading is Fundamental.

I'm your host, Dr. Erin Bailey.

This podcast celebrates the power of books and the joy of reading.

In each episode, we talk with educators, librarians, families, authors, and literacy champions to explore one big question.

What does Reading inspire for you?

Through stories, research, and real world experience from classrooms, libraries, and homes, we explore what literacy looks like and why it matters.

Whether you're nurturing young readers, shaping learning spaces, or simply love a good book, we're glad you're here.

Let's get inspired.

Today I'm chatting with Alicia Levy, president and CEO of Reading as Fundamental, and Jack Raimondi, chairman of Reading as Fundamentals Board of Directors.

Throughout this year, we will be celebrating riffs.

60th anniversary as the nation's leading children's literacy nonprofit.

Welcome, Alicia and Jack.

Jack Remondi: Good morning.

Thank you.

Alicia Levi: Thank you For having us.

Erin Bailey: we'll jump right in.

As RIF celebrates 60 years, I would like each of you to reflect and think about what stands out to you as the most defining moments in the organization's history.

And we'll start with you, Alicia.

Alicia Levi: Thank you so much for having us.

Thank you so much for doing this.

I think this podcast is so important.

It provides such great inspiration, I think for people who have the opportunity to listen.

But when I think about R'S 60th anniversary, what stands out to me most is the scale of trust that RIF has earned over six decades from our earliest days.

Placing books directly in the hands of children who need the most.

To really becoming a nationally recognized literacy leader.

We have always met children where they are and put them at the center of everything we do.

There are so many defining moments at partners that we've worked with, schools and community organizations that we've had the opportunity to.

To really meet and build capacity for.

But I think that the defining moments for me continue to be every time I have the opportunity to watch a child experience the joy that comes with owning a book that they've been able to choose for themselves.

And those moments never, ever get old.

Erin Bailey: Thank you.

And Jack, what's been a defining moment for you?

Jack Remondi: Yes.

Well, thank you for including me in today's podcast.

And Alicia, I would certainly, that last statement is so true when you go to a a book event and you see the joy in the children's eyes and the emotion that they have about being able to keep a book and put their name in it.

it's breathtaking and, and certainly stays with you.

Look, I think, you know, one of the most amazing things of an organization that is 60 years old is how much its mission has remained true.

And consistent with the mission of day one, right?

When Margaret McNamara founded RIF 60 years ago, she recognized that there was a gap, a gap in the access to books in different parts
of the community in the Washington DC area, and she tried to solve that gap and close it, and that is what Rift does still today.

We close that gap.

We provide books to children who otherwise wouldn't have them.

Through that we hope to foster a lifelong love of reading so that they become engaged more in the literacy development of themselves, but also more active participants in their communities.

And again, it comes back to the joy that you see when you indicate a book or let them pick a book.

More importantly that they can call their own.

It's just 60 years of a wonderful, consistent mission for the organization.

Erin Bailey: Thank you, Jack.

I wanna highlight one thing that you said for our listeners who might not be familiar with RIFS Books for Ownership program, and that is the act of a child writing their name in the book.

When I first joined rif.

I discovered something called a name plate and I wasn't sure what that was.

So I asked Alicia, what is a name plate?

And she lit up and said, oh, that's one of the most important parts of books for ownership.

It is a name plate, is a sticker.

You've probably seen versions of this that says this book belongs to with a line.

And we put those stickers inside of the books.

And when a child selects a book at one of our events, they write their name in it and that shows that it is their.

Book to own.

It is their very own.

And for many of these children that starts their home library for the very first time.

So I just wanted to emphasize that, and thank you for sharing that, Jack, because throughout the years of RIF, that has been an essential component that will continue to live on.

So this is something that Alicia and I have talked about in the past, the wider literacy landscape.

It has changed.

So much since 1966 and yet some things are also cyclical.

So what were the challenges then, and how do they compare to the challenges today?

Alicia Levi: from my perspective, and we touched a little bit on this just in the first, kind of part of our discussion, right?

the idea of access, right?

The challenge in 1966, I think was, an amazing woman, right?

Pulling a book off of her child's shelf to ensure that a child in a community.

that didn't have one, had access.

And I think that challenge still exists, but the complexity is so much more today than it was 60 years ago.

I think in 1966, people just didn't realize it.

It was hard to imagine that a child didn't have a book in their home.

That problem still exists today, but I think it's compounded by just the complexities of.

Society today, we have a more diverse society.

Learning loss is real, right?

Particularly coming out of COVID, inconsistent access to instructional models and digital inequities, right?

Digital was not a component of education in 1966 or home reading libraries, but today.

Information it delivers to children in so many ways, and the challenges today are making sure that we meet kids where they are.

So that they have access to the opportunities that reading provides wherever they are, so they can read anytime, anywhere.

And that is different than it was in 1966.

But the fundamental foundational question of do children have access to books, so they are on a pathway to be able to read proficiently is still here today and it's more urgent than ever.

Jack Remondi: I would agree with that.

And I would add, you know, the other additional complexities that exist today that are different is, different languages, right?

So many of our youth speak have a primary language other than English, or it's not, not constant across their classroom or even in their community.

and being able to reach those children and provide.

Books that they can relate to and participate in, particularly even with their parents if there is a different language spoken at home is a critical difference.

And the competition of alternative interests or what you know, or distractions or however you wanna call 'em.

is far larger and more prevalent today than it was I think in 1966.

And you know, that's everything from social media to gaming to you know, those are probably the biggest ones that, that impact our children.

And you know, I think one of the things that is a, been a positive development, I think in the last year is a growing awareness of.

How much harm some of these things can cause to children and their learning development.

Process and, and starting to make some changes there.

So hopefully, we'll, see some results.

And then the last thing I just would add that I think is a big positive is, is the science of reading is becoming more, is better understood in terms of the tools and
techniques we need to deliver to our children so that they can develop their reading skills despite, you know, what learning differences they might have amongst themselves.

So.

If that's a positive.

Alicia Levi: If you don't mind, Erin.

I couldn't agree with that more.

And I think, again, one of the reasons I'm so excited about this podcast is I know that you are talking to experts on the science of reading on some of
those issues that Jack just raised, that help people better understand them and then find solutions that can impact the children that they're serving.

So I, I couldn't agree with that more.

And I think it's one of the reasons this podcast is so important.

Jack Remondi: Mm.

Erin Bailey: I think an interesting point that you both brought up is the competing with.

Digital technology.

So in 1966 it was hard to imagine children that didn't have books in their home yet, these issues of access have always existed.

A couple things have happened since then.

We have more sophisticated data collection instruments, so now we have research that can.

In some of our most needing communities, there is just one book for every 833 children.

We call that a book desert.

We may not have had those statistics to paint that picture for people back then, but I think the other thing that you brought up, Alicia, was back in 1966, if you gave a child a book.

It seemed obvious that they would take it home and read it.

That may not be the case anymore.

We need to add in, to your point, Jack, science of Reading and what we know works to support children to be able to read the books that are given to them in their homes, and there are competing priorities.

A child is sent home with a book, they're super excited about it.

But they get home.

And then there's also a game that they can play on a tablet or other social media that may draw their attention.

So these are all competing priorities that didn't exist in 1966.

Such an interesting landscape.

Alicia Levi: I actually think that's such an important point too, Erin, because those competing priorities, right, enable kids to experience stories in a whole lot of different ways today.

I think that also is not just a threat, it's an opportunity for us.

Right.

Well, attention is fragmented.

Kids are looking for connection.

And I think that's what RIF and the power of our mission has done so well for 60 years is recognize that when a child is engaged in the act of reading, wherever they're doing that they're engaged because they see a connection.

And I think that connection is critical to create an opportunity, right?

Like these are challenges that we're talking about.

Now our job, I think, is to figure out how we.

Understand those challenges and find solutions for them to ensure that these kids have these tools.

Jack Remondi: You mentioned, you know, meeting our children where they are and you know, too often I think in society we look for problems that have a single.

And in today's world, it really needs to be in all of the above.

So it doesn't mean just physical books with in print.

It can also mean digital strategies.

It can mean group learning options or individual learning options.

Those are.

You know, it, it's so important.

And I think that's one thing that RIF has done very well and very differently than it did in 1966, right?

Where we had a single way of, providing books and now we're doing it in so many different ways in order to reach more kids and reach them where they are.

Alicia Levi: And Jackie even mentioned earlier, you know, the fact that, you know, a, a more diverse society means home life is more diverse as well.

And when you think about even that, right, like parents who are in many cases not reading proficient themselves, might not speak the language of the books that are going home.

Creating that culture of reading and riff evolving to recognize that we need to.

Reach not just the kid, but the community that surrounds them with tools that help advance.

This is important as well.

Erin Bailey: You both have set up our next question perfectly.

You've talked about R'S ability to adapt and innovate, so you've both been around what innovations in literacy, you've mentioned technology, program models, research, support all these things.

How have these made a significant impact on rifs work?

What changes have you seen?

Alicia Levi: we have been so lucky to have Jack as a, a partner on our board for many years, so he's.

Also an expert in the education space.

He's got such great experience to bring.

He's watched this innovation, not just for R, but for the education community writ large, and I think that the power of rif, lots of organizations come and go in the education space.

I think one of the things that has really.

Allowed RIF to stay relevant because again, there are a lot of organizations that are out there that just aren't relevant.

I think what's kept RIF relevant is, to answer your question, Erin, the fact that we have evolved and adapted to meet the changing needs of the, I'll call it the marketplace, right?

Where the education marketplace is.

We've stayed dedicated to our.

Place in a child's reading journey, but we have innovated and adapted to meet the needs of the market.

And that is not just about technology.

Technology's the easy answer, right?

Technology came around and we created technology solutions.

In my view, technology is an enabler of learning, not a solution to learning.

So the, the challenge I think that RIF took on and, and has done remarkably effectively in my.

Estimation is we've leveraged technology to advanced learning outcomes.

And that's one tool in homes, in classrooms and community centers.

But it's not the only solution because I think research is a critical element as well.

And, and you've seen RIF over the years use research to inform solutions that.

That then provide tools for the communities that we serve.

So I, I would say it's both of those things.

Jack Remondi: That's right.

And you know, I think, we have used those, that research and analysis and, and the ability to gather data and understand, gain a deeper understanding of the reading challenges that students face.

And, and that's led to a recognition that not all kids learn the same way.

Right.

So, and we've developed, I, you know, my programs and my timeline at, RIF that really try to address some of those, items and use research and data to show those impacts.

Read for Success is one of my favorite RIF programs because it actually is not just about providing kids with access to books, but
providing the them and their family members and teachers the support materials that they need to help kids learn the skills to read.

The results of those programs have been mapped and tracked, and they are remarkable in that.

You know, as we all know, kids during the summer.

Usually show a decline in reading proficiency when they're outta school known as the, the summer slide.

And the Read for Success program that operated across multiple states over several years showed that those reading declines can actually be reversed and, and show reading increases.

So, the tools are available.

You know, I take our own family history as an example in that my son, when he was young.

Had struggled with reading and he we got him the resources he needed through an OG type program.

And he gained the reading skills.

And today he's a avid lifelong reader, right?

And those are building blocks that had he not developed, he would've struggled through.

Grade school, high school, college for the rest of his life.

So solutions that we can help provide and help our children develop at an early age can be really life altering in terms of their educational development.

Erin Bailey: Yeah.

Thank you, Jack, for sharing that personal story too, to bring that to life, and I think it speaks to what I. Fell in love with about RIF when I first joined a little over four years ago was rifs Yes.

And approach.

Print books are never going to go away.

They're always going to be important.

They're always going to be a part of our mission and we can integrate technology.

And we can create books in multiple languages so that families can access them at home and still build those essential literacy skills at home.

And we can reach children from birth all the way up through eighth grade and maybe even into high school to in the future to, setting that up for, for you all.

But I, I just love the way RIF continues to evolve while still staying true to its mission.

It's a balance.

It's a difficult balance to find.

And I think to Alicia's point, that is what's kept RIF sustaining over time.

It's not always the flashy and the new.

Those things come in and out of style, but staying true to the mission, being able to adapt, that's what.

Help sustain the organization over time.

Alicia Levi: Aaron, I, I appreciate that so much.

And I would, add to that, it's kind of in our name, right?

Reading is fundamental right.

It's that fundamental foundational building block, and it's.

I think it's the power of RIF because Jack's story is modeled in homes across the country.

Everybody has a reading journey, whatever it is.

They have a, they might have had a child that struggled.

I certainly did.

They might have just loved reading that, but they all have a reading journey and that makes our brand and our work.

Relatable to everybody.

It's a universal truth.

I've never come across one person that has said, I disagree with you, Alicia.

Kids shouldn't be able to read.

And by being able to read it doesn't have an impact on their life, you know, and, and their ability to, you know, achieve things.

And that, I think, coupled with all the things that you guys have said, I think that's part of our secret sauce.

That allows us to continue to be relevant and be able to innovate and, you know, and, and adapt.

The problem, my goal, and I, joke with everybody about this all the time.

I'd like to work all of us out of a job.

I love working with all of you.

And it's, been the joy of my life for sure.

Wouldn't it be great if we could.

Leave riff and say, we close the doors because every child in this country has the ability to read the exciting part of working for this organization, in my view, is that this is one of those problems you can solve.

This every child can read.

We just need to provide them with the resources and the tools they need.

And, and that is something that I think is unique to rif and part of why we've been able to kind of, remain relevant over 60 years and, and for the next 60.

Because while I'd love for that to be our aspirational goal, I am, you know, I recognize that it's unlikely that we will solve the problem in our lifetime, but boy, we should work on it until we can.

Erin Bailey: And I think that brought up for me another point that, Jack, you mentioned what.

A lot of people don't understand is that reading is not simple.

It is a complex process and there, this is an estimation, but anywhere between 15 to 25% of people struggle with reading at some point in their journey.

So each of us personally knows someone who has struggled to learn to read.

Everybody listening to this podcast has known someone in their life who has struggled to learn how to read.

And Jack's point about.

Not every child learns the same way, is something that we can't overlook.

It is not a simple process.

It is complex and every child may need a different approach, and that's something that we continue to work on.

Okay, so we headed into this a little bit.

We're starting our 60th anniversary this year.

If you had to describe where RIF is headed in the next decade, what would you say is the boldest part of our vision?

Alicia Levi: Well, I think you kind of teed it up in your last comment.

I think the boldest part of our commitment.

To Universal access is aligning it to personalized engagement.

Right?

And that's complicated.

60 years ago, you know, you could generally say that kids liked these kinds of stories and they would likely be able to relate to these kinds of stories.

We have a very different society that we live in today, and kids relate to things in lots of different ways.

So creating a personalized experience at.

Scale to provide universal access, I think I think that's super complex, but I think that is a bold vision and I think that's how we solve this problem.

And we need lots of people to work with us to make sure that we can do that.

Jack Remondi: that is absolutely correct.

And, you know, we talked, we've talked a little bit about using technology and, and how the different medium approaches are coming into play here.

But this is one area that RIF can.

Leverage technology to accomplish more than it could have ever done before, which is universal access today through Sky.

We do that, right?

We provide free access to books, to anyone.

Who comes into the sky network.

And then customization or, or individualization for kids so that they can read books where they see themselves, they can read books in different languages.

Those are.

Things that are more easily delivered and certainly more efficiently delivered when leveraging technology, and, and again, it's not the only solution, but it is a critical component that allows, I think, rift to adopt a bolder strategy.

Then it would be able to without it, right?

In that we can serve more and we can be more to students and families across the country.

Erin Bailey: Thank you, Jack, for bringing up Sky.

I know Alicia is grateful to.

For those of you listening who are unfamiliar with Sky, it's like a library in the sky.

This is our ebook platform.

And I'll go ahead and announce it here on our first episode of the podcast, and to kick off our 60th anniversary now through skybird, anyone in the country with access to a device, tablet, computer, you name it, can access a hundred free books completely free.

Ad free.

Don't need the internet to access it all in your hands.

That means we have put a hand, a book in every child's hand across this country.

Alicia Levi: That was a bold goal 60 years ago when Margaret McNamara started on this journey.

I don't think she necessarily thought she was gonna create this movement.

I don't think I, I mean, I can't obviously speak for her, but I can't imagine.

That she envisioned that she would be able to ensure that every child has a book in their home.

she set us on a path to ensure we could deliver that.

And as we enter, as RIF enters our 60th year, we're not just providing one book or two books to every child in this country, 100 books.

And Erin, you are.

A brilliant researcher, you know that a hundred books has a direct impact, the number of books in the home.

If you have a hundred books in your home, you are more likely to have a proficient reader in your home.

So we used research, we used our history, we used our knowledge of the marketplace, and we used technology to hit a bold, aspirational goal and be able to say that every child in this country, no matter their circumstance, if they have a device.

Most children in any part of this country have access to a device.

Then they have access to a hundred books that they can call their own.

I'm jumping out of my seat every day when we talk about it.

I cannot express how Exciting.

That is both for us as an organization, but for every parent or educator or community leader in the country that cares about ensuring that children can read, they know that this is transformational.

And our our, we wanna spend this year and every year from now on.

Providing more books through that platform, but also making sure that people know it's there, it's available, they can, all they have to do is download it.

They don't need a credit card, they don't need it.

They don't need anything fancy, they just need access to the device and they can pick these books and own these books.

So it is a great way to start our 60th year and to really reinforce, the central component of our mission, which is providing access to children to have books that they can have at home and call their own.

Erin Bailey: If you can't tell, we are very excited about Sky.

Check out the show notes for the link to Sky Ray.

Download it today.

Start using it today.

Just to reiterate, these are a hundred completely free books that you can access anytime, anywhere.

You can start to transform the, those 10 minutes that you're waiting in the dentist's office with your children.

Into reading time.

You don't have to worry about returning these books to the library and getting a late fee because you forgot this is the easiest way to access books at at your fingertips.

Um, so we're very excited.

Alicia Levi: do you mind if I jump in one more time?

if you have a struggling reader, there is a read aloud component to this.

If you're a multicultural family, several of the books are in, in other languages.

We are all the things we've talked about here today.

How do we make sure that.

We engage kids, we meet them where they are, we provide them with tools that they can relate to, and Skybird does all of that, and it brings it directly to the child who might not be able to get to a library or have access
to a bookstore or have parents who can afford to buy them books or didn't have the pleasure of attending a book celebration event in one of the many communities that we support them with print books across the country, it.

Every child, most children in this country have access to some device.

All they have to do is go to skybird.org and download the app, and now they have access to all these books in lots of different ways that engage them as well.

I know this isn't a podcast about skybird, but thank you for bringing it

Erin Bailey: I was just thinking, Alicia, I think we may need to have an episode dedicated to Skybird because this is exciting and
hopefully all of you who are listening are excited about it, as excited as we are, and continue to be excited throughout this year.

So we will move into what inspires each of you.

So starting with you, Alicia, from a CEO perspective.

What inspires you the most about leading RIF into this transformative moment?

Alicia Levi: So as you can tell, I'm passionate about our work.

I definitely drink the Rift Kool-Aid because I believe.

I've been in this space for a very long time.

I've been in the education space my entire, really, my entire career.

And I got into it because I believe that education is the great equalizer that every child has a right to an education.

And education starts with the ability to read.

So I, for me, I'm motivated every day by the idea that there are children who are not as lucky as my children.

As not as lucky as Jack's son was, he had parents that understood, recognized that there was a problem, and then understood that they needed help to.

Build a solution and then got him the help he needs.

And he is a remarkable young man with enormous potential.

Right?

And I would say that about my children.

I would say that Aaron, about your amazing three kids every parent in this country wants what's best for their kids, right?

There's, there's nobody out there that doesn't want their kids to have opportunity.

And it starts with the ability to read.

So when I think of where, where I can have an impact.

I think this is the foundational tool that children need, and if you give them the tools they need.

Then they have opportunity.

You can't solve every problem.

Our job is not to solve every problem.

It's just to focus on our issue.

And I am motivated every day by the, when I wake up and look at my kids' picture.

I think my kids have had lots of great opportunities.

I wanna make sure every child has that.

And I think that the idea that.

Education is that foundational building block and reading is the tool you need because if you can read, you can stem and science and math and all the other things, but if you can't read, you can't get to that next level.

And so I'm motivated and inspired every day and I'm inspired by the amazing people that I get to meet, not just the kids that are recipients of the.

Of the work that we do, but their families and their educators you know, the people I work with, the experts in the space that I feel like we learn from every day because, and we talked a little bit about this.

Like, we can be inspired by the work, but the data has to drive the solutions.

And I think research is critical to ensure that we're providing the right tools that can have the deepest impact.

So, it was probably a bigger answer than you were looking for, but I, you know, again, I drink our Kool-Aid every day.

And I have never, ever come across a person who isn't inspired by the idea that every child should be able to read.

And I've rarely come across a person that isn't surprised by the fact that so many children in this country don't have access.

And when they learn that they want to participate, and I would that's, you know, my other big goal, my aspiration for 2026 and beyond.

Is to ensure that more people participate in the solution, work with us, work with other groups in in their communities to ensure that, that we, we solve this problem and create this opportunity for children nationwide.

Erin Bailey: I drink the Kool-Aid as well, Alicia, so I'm with you.

Jack Remondi: Yes, I think we're all in that camp.

You know, I think, you know, you used a phrase at the beginning that education is the great equalizer, and you know that that is, I, I couldn't agree more with that statement.

And it does start with reading.

You know, it's hard to do math, science, history in most jobs today, you don't have reading.

Skills and some reading proficiency.

I grew up in, when I was growing up, my dad always had something to read.

Wherever we went, he carried something to read.

And, and it really brought that sense that, you know, you don't go someplace to a doctor's office.

You don't go to, you know, an appointment or a meeting if you don't have something, or you don't go on the train ride to the office without something to read.

And when I first joined rif.

Many years ago that was, you know, that was the reason is that reading had been such a prominent, had such a prominent place in my childhood and continued into my adult life that I wanted.

To share that with others and share that through my participation in the R board.

But r is so much more than that.

And, you know, I think that's really where I see that as, as the the great opportunity and the great challenge of RIF is that we're more than just trying to provide access to reading.

It is, it's actually to develop a love of reading and, lifelong readers and, if you think about our society today there's any number of social challenges that people will list and their priorities might change amongst different responders.

But reading is that fundamental building block.

That, that I think it's hard to say we're going to solve income in inequality without.

Individuals who have reading skills, right, and can have a level of reading proficiency participation in our democracy, it's, it's hard to achieve if a portion of our society is not able to read.

So, those are the things that, that motivate me and continue to have me, play a role in riff and, and trust me, I am very honored for the role that I get to play at Reading is fundamental and will continue to drink that Kool-Aid with the two of you every day.

Erin Bailey: I think you make such a good point, Jack.

There are many intervention programs out there and you mentioned one that you used with your son that can teach children how to read.

What Rift does is unique in that we inspire children to have the desire to read.

And we believe that that.

Is the secret sauce, so to say, in creating lifelong readers and therefore lifelong learners.

And doesn't everyone wanna say that they are a learner from the day they are born until their final days, that they're always able to learn something new And reading is a way to do that.

So I think it's so important.

I would love if each of you could share a story.

It can be recent or from the past that captures the heart of riffs mission in action.

Okay.

Alicia Levi: Boy, that's a tough one, Aaron, because every time you have the opportunity, the privilege of working with a child.

Who gets a book for the first time They light up every time, every day is a story.

There I'll, if you don't mind, I'll share two that probably stick with me the most.

Recently we did an event, it was just back to school timeframe and two, you know, little ones, they could have been more than second grade.

We're walking by the gym where we were hosting a big book celebration event, balloons.

Creating joy, right?

Creating that joy, that experience where kids got to come in and then select, you know, up to three books and, you know, get all kinds of support resources.

But these two little ones, second grader walking by the gym and this little boy says he is like, what's going on in there?

And the girl walking next to him said, it's like Christmas with books.

Then all the kids are cheering.

It's, it's one of my.

Favorite recent ones because it was just so adorable.

I mean, it just, it couldn't have been more adorable.

But I think the one that, the story that is modeled at every book celebration event that we host, every story that we hear when books
are made available to children, is that question that a child who had otherwise not had access to books always asks, are you sure?

Is this mine?

And that's when that book plate becomes so critical.

Yes, it's yours.

Yes.

You get to write your name in it, and you see that moment where they light up.

And then half the time that children will, that child will look at you and say, can I take an extra one because I have a brother or sister?

So that they can have one themselves.

Those moments.

They inspire that, that's what keeps me going, right?

That, and I think that's what inspires me and EE even those that, that, you know, might not be as passionate as, you know, I can get about the mission.

it just melts your heart and it makes you realize that you're ha you're making a difference and that matters.

We're making a difference in these child's lives every day.

Jack Remondi: Oh, since you gave two, I'm gonna give two

Alicia Levi: Good.

Jack Remondi: And, and I do think, i, I'm gonna start with a role as a participant and supporter of rif.

And you know, when you're fortunate in life and you have the opportunity to do something to give back and you see that when you participate in that and do give back, that it has an impact that gives a tremendous amount of joy, right?

And and so my time with RIF has continued.

Much longer than I probably ever expected, in part because I get that joy every time I participate in something with rif.

this podcast is giving me that sense of joy coming to a board meeting, going, you know, doing something to support a RIF program at a local school.

Those are things that I, I hold precious to me.

But as, Alicia said, nothing can really top.

Going to a book distribution program at a school or an event.

I've had the privilege to be able to do a number of these over my time.

Serving with riff, you know, reading stories out loud to the kids helping them select books and just seeing that that pure joy is, I don't know who's happier, I think the kid or me in that process.

But it is, it is such a great there's such great events.

They're amazing.

They're truly amazing.

Erin Bailey: Thank you.

And last, as we're wrapping up, I would love if you could each share a message with our listeners, which are educators, families supporters, literacy advocates how they can join RIF in shaping the next 60 years of reading in this country.

Alicia Levi: I, we've talked a lot about it here today.

And, you know, talk about it to anybody that will listen.

But reading changes lives.

It changes lives if we make it accessible, if we make it relevant, and if we make it joyful.

I think your listeners here today have, it's impossible not to hear the joy in our voices, right?

In our, our passion for our work.

Whether you're a parent, an educator, a donor or an advocate.

E everybody has a role to play.

But it will start and end with joy because you know you're making a difference.

But there are such, such simple things.

Just this idea, you know, you heard Jack talk about, you know, you feel it when you're at these remarkable events that a child saying getting a book is like Christmas.

Right?

It such simple things.

You know, the such simple things can have such an outsized impact on a child and, you know, my final message would be join us.

Right?

And it doesn't have to be just through a donation, although I love donations because it allows us to do more.

It doesn't have to just be as a, a board member, but I value our board members and our partners and volunteers that work with us.

It can be something simple that you do in your own home, read to a child.

If you can't read, use Skybird to help you read to a child.

Support literacy in your community.

Make a culture of literacy part of your environment.

I, you know, we always, at my house, at dinner talk about what books we've read.

That, that's just creating that culture of reading that makes reading relevant.

And I have a 16-year-old and she will often say to me, mom, I didn't pick up a book today.

And I'll say, but what device were you on?

You what she's driving?

What sign did you read on the way to work?

Reading happens everywhere and I think the more we as a community.

Make it relevant, it will become something that people are aware of.

And so I encourage people to share the message making sure that we make reading part of our everyday lives.

And I would argue that our next 60 years begin with what we do today.

It's those small everyday actions that we take that over time create change.

Jack Remondi: So, so true.

We're not gonna change.

Big problems don't get changed with the snap of a finger, right?

They require small individual steps on a long journey.

And so, so my message would be really about modeling.

You know, I think if you have young children model reading, so show how important it is in your household, read to them.

We, we read to our kids before they were born, we were, we were reading to them and you know, continue that process.

But as Alicia said at the beginning, you know, we also, I think everyone recognizes that RIF can't fulfill its mission without.

Financial support.

And so if you're able and so motivated, we would love to have you on board with us and join us in supporting this tremendous organization that delivers results and impact real results and real impact to children across this country.

And, you should know that if you do participate and contribute, that those dollars will be used wisely and, and judiciously.

And I hope you will join us in supporting riff and modeling reading and literacy in your household each and every day.

And.

Erin Bailey: Thank you both for joining us today.

It was a pleasure talking with you.

we could keep going.

This could be a six hour long podcast, but we, we won't do that.

But you've inspired for me.

A lot more topics to cover in future episodes, such as using multicultural literature and various languages in reading.

How to use eBooks to effectively read aloud with your children.

How to motivate children to read as a social activity.

I could go on and on.

So thank you both for inspiring me today, and thank you all for listening to Reading Inspires by Reading is Fundamental.

I hope today's conversation sparked new ideas, meaningful connections, and a renewed love of reading.

I know it did for me.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share it with a fellow literacy champion, and join us next time as we continue to explore what reading inspires.

Okay.