Resource center
Help for the readers in your life.
Tips for caregivers, the facts on literacy, videos and answers to common questions.
Caregiver resources
Easy ways to support reading at home.
Literacy information
What structured literacy is and why it matters.
YouTube channel
Decode’s Concept Corner videos.
FAQ
Cost, curriculum, mentors and more.
For caregivers
Caregiver resources
You don’t need to be a teacher to help. A few minutes a day adds up.
- Read together for 15–20 minutes a day. Take turns, and let your child pick the book sometimes.
- Practice letter sounds, not just letter names. “B” says /b/.
- Point out words everywhere: cereal boxes, street signs, menus.
- Praise effort, not speed. Struggling readers are working hard.
- Talk with your child’s teacher if reading feels like a fight every night.
Signs a child might need extra help
- Guessing at words from the first letter or the picture
- Avoiding reading, or acting out when it’s time to read
- Trouble rhyming or hearing the separate sounds in a word
- Reading slowly even after lots of practice
The facts
Literacy information
45M
U.S. adults are functionally illiterate
1 in 5
students has a language-based learning difference, like dyslexia
4×
more likely to graduate with early reading help
When early reading doesn’t click, kids get frustrated. That can turn into behavior problems, discipline (often harsher for Black and brown students), dropping out and fewer job options. Low literacy can then pass to the next generation. Structured literacy breaks that cycle.
Watch
YouTube channel
Watch Decode’s Concept Corner: short videos that explain reading concepts and show how structured literacy works.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
General
What does it cost?
Literacy mentoring uses a sliding fee from $5 to $65 per session, based on what your family can pay. Programs we run with schools and community partners are free and paid for by grants.
How do you know it works?
Every student starts with a Diagnostic Decoding Survey. It shows whether a child struggles to decode and exactly where, so lessons target the right skills. Our methods are research-based.
Can I volunteer as a mentor?
Our Literacy Mentors are paid, trained staff, so we don’t take volunteer mentors. Volunteers help on our board, committees, in the office and at community events. See volunteer roles.
Caregivers and parents
How do I enroll my child?
Fill out our online application. You’ll get a reference number right away.
What curriculum do you use?
A mix of Orton-Gillingham and Wilson-based approaches. Both are multi-sensory, explicit and sequential.
How long until I see progress?
We start where your child is. Many kids make big gains once they build decoding skills and confidence, but every child moves at their own pace.
How long will my child stay in the program?
As long as they need to build strong decoding skills.
Schools and partners
Can Decode Project come to our school or organization?
Yes. Contact us and pick “Partnership” to talk about bringing a program to your students.
Donors and champions
How can I support the work?
Make a one-time gift online. The sliding fee scale keeps lessons affordable, and our waitlist is long. Our dream is to match any student who struggles to read with a Literacy Mentor.
Why do monthly gifts matter?
Monthly sustainers give us steady income we can plan around, and less time fundraising means more time with students.
Literacy Mentors
Who are the mentors and how are they trained?
Mentors are paid staff, mostly college students of color from local universities. Training covers structured literacy, anti-racist and anti-bias practice, healing-centered care, resilience, and child abuse prevention and reporting.
How do I apply to be a mentor?
Openings are posted on LinkedIn.