Literacy

6-12 week gains - in just one summer!

A central component of the Horizons program, building students' literacy skills is essential to future school and life success. Each Horizons program has at least one Reading Specialist on-site to work with students throughout the summer program. Students are evaluated using STAR Assessments at the beginning and end of each summer, and benefit from high-quality individualized and small-group instruction to help accelerate growth as early as age 5. Reading Specialists also work closely with teachers to inform classroom instruction, ensuring students continually receive the support they need.

Horizons programs strive to bring joy to reading and literacy, providing access to diverse materials, project-based learning opportunities, and experiences that allow students to practice literacy in new ways, like theater classes and writing challenges. With these supports, Horizons students show significant gains: in 2021, early literacy students who began the summer reading below grade level achieved an average of 12.7 weeks of growth!