Family Literacy Initiative

Read Muskegon’s Family Literacy Initiative is a two-generation (2Gen) model serving families in Muskegon and Oceana Counties. We deliver research-based, hands-on classes—ABCs of Cooking/Art/Music, Grow A Little Reader, Families in Action—alongside K–12 tutoring, 1:1 and 2Gen parent/child tutoring, ESL, and drop-in literacy labs. Programming is offered in trusted, accessible spaces (schools, libraries, community sites, correctional settings, and partner locations like Goodwill and West MI Works) with bilingual options for immigrant and refugee families. Parents receive individualized instruction tied to their self-defined goals (navigating enrollment, supporting reading at home, understanding school data), while children build early literacy, social-emotional skills, and print/phonemic awareness through playful, culturally relevant activities. Families leave each cycle with books and tools to sustain reading routines at home.

The initiative pairs warm relationships with rigorous measurement. Adult learners are assessed with TABE at intake and every ~40–45 hours; family programs use short pre/post tools aligned to early-literacy behaviors; and K–12 supports incorporate school reading levels and teacher/parent feedback. In 2024, Read Muskegon served 757 individuals (up 67%), expanded ESL and jail-based programs, and saw 65% of adults with 40+ hours make a measurable skills gain. Volunteer power deepened impact—96 active tutor-learner pairs contributed 4,582 hours—allowing more individualized instruction and evening sections for working caregivers.

Alignment with United Way mission/priorities

This initiative squarely advances Childhood Success—Early Literacy by increasing access to high-quality early learning environments, providing direct early-literacy supports, and engaging families as co-educators. By meeting families where they are, removing language and logistical barriers, and strengthening parents’ literacy, digital, health, and civic skills, the program addresses root causes that keep ALICE households from stability. As parents’ skills rise, so do children’s school readiness and reading routines—improving long-term academic outcomes while supporting economic mobility and community well-being—fully aligned with United Way of the Lakeshore’s mission to inspire change and build thriving communities.