Arizona’s literacy crisis: One Valley program is teaching parents to be their child’s first reading teacher

CHANDLER, Arizona — Arizona is facing a growing literacy crisis, and for many children, falling behind begins long before they ever enter a classroom.

Experts warn that the gap between struggling readers and their peers is stubbornly persistent. 

“When they start behind, they stay behind,” said Joanne Floth, director of Read On Chandler. 

Research shows that children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are significantly less likely to graduate from high school on time.

With that benchmark in mind, a Chandler nonprofit is stepping in early and focusing not just on children, but on their first teachers: their parents.

Inside a Chandler classroom, story time looks familiar at first glance: circle time, books and a dance break to burn off energy. But behind the fun lies a bigger mission.

Story School, a 12-session program through Read On Chandler, focuses on children from birth to age 5 by coaching the adults in their lives. The program specifically targets families who may not have access to preschool, filling a critical gap during the years when early language and literacy skills are developing fastest.

“Story School is a behavior change program for adults,” said Julie Fisher, the program’s regional director of Family Education & Literacy. “We’re trying to equip the adults with the strategies and skills and confidence to carry reading into their home.”

Floth echoed the approach. 

“We’re working with parents who are their children’s first teachers,” she said. “We bring them together and give them the skills they need to be that resource at home.”

During class sessions, parents don’t just watch; they practice. The curriculum teaches adults how to turn even small pockets of time into meaningful learning moments. Tips include talking in the car, pointing out signs on the road, and describing pictures in a book together.

“We know families are busy,” Fisher said. “We want to give them strategies that are easy to integrate into everyday life.”

For Tina Dugan, a mother of two enrolled in the program, the lessons have shifted how she thinks about small moments with her children.

“If we can get like 5, 10 minutes of looking at a picture and talking about it — I’m getting what I can get,” she said.

After the books close, the learning continues. Parents gather to share what’s working, what isn’t, and lean on one another for encouragement, a community that keeps everyone accountable and motivated.

“Some of the parents said, ‘You’re doing good.’ I was like, ‘You’re doing good,’” Dugan said. “So we’re all doing the best we can, and it’s great.”

Story School sessions run throughout the year, with multiple sessions offered each quarter. Organizers say there is room to grow as more families enroll, and they are actively working to expand their reach across the Valley.

By reaching parents early, Read On Chandler hopes to help more Arizona children hit the critical third-grade reading milestone and rewrite the state’s literacy story, one family at a time.

This story is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund

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