Rotary Reading Ladder is a responsive literacy program designed around the needs of its beneficiaries in Little Rock, Arkansas. The program is in its third year of implementation. In its current form, the program provides new, high-quality, age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate books and in-kind partnership items (e.g., Chik-fil-A children’s meal gift cards and stuffed animals donated by Chick-fil-A) to participating schools to incorporate into their own literacy programs to use as reading incentives.
All Little Rock School District (LRSD) elementary students receive a bookmark, which is their ticket into the program and provides basic instructions for tracking their reading time. K-2nd student reading time is automatically tracked on a platform already provided to students by LRSD. Meanwhile, 3rd-5th grade students log their own reading progress via a secure online platform provided by the Central Arkansas Library System, a program partner. Teachers and school librarians reward students known as “rising stars” and “top performers” based on their potential and reading performance compared to their peers.
At the end of the program, reading time is compiled by each participating school. Top-performing schools are awarded monetary prizes for use toward book fairs or for further incentivizing student readers to encourage students to continue reading in the coming summer and subsequent months. Rotarians and key partners are involved in the program development, implementation, and evaluation. Rotarians have been involved in all end-of-year celebration events to celebrate students’ reading success. Examples of celebration events include two parties with interactive activities for top readers at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library, a movie day at the Ron Robinson Theater managed by the Central Arkansas Library System, and check presentations at top-performing schools.