You’re powering stories that matter. In 2023, we saw an increase in the number of readers completing 25 different books or more by 36%. Books children are passionate about and books they can grow and learn with. Books like Skilled Like Sadio that spark the imagination of children and discussions between them and their caregivers. Thanks to these stories, you helped families create unforgettable memories, quality time captured in moments of reading together.

As a child, we often learn to love to read from an older sibling or parents and as a caregiver, we then wish to pass that same love for books on to our children, knowing the benefits of reading – from empathy and creativity to academic and professional success – will stay with them forever.

2023 found me reflecting more and more on the supportive role we can offer parents and caregivers in reading to and with their kids in communities with limited access to children’s books. Without weaving reading into the very fabric of home, we won’t be able to break down the barriers that are holding us back from ensuring equal access to learning for all of the world’s children.

2023 was a year of great success. We reached a major milestone – 22 million readers supported since our foundation.  And our collective work was recognized by the Library of Congress, which on World Literacy Day 2023 awarded Worldreader with the Library of Congress Literacy Award, International Prize, for our work advancing global literacy in over 100 countries. 

And yet, 64% of the world’s children still can’t read. If we want to help protect their future, we must continue to find creative, innovative, and scalable solutions to this crisis.

Personally, I think the best way to do it is by finally listening to the voices of parents. 

The Worldreader team recently took part in some extraordinary conversations about the future of education. And while I was blown away by the creative ways in which small organizations are meeting children and families where they are, I keep thinking that education systems aren’t adapting fast enough to the world’s greatest challenges.

From war to the climate crisis and growing inequality, children continue to face unprecedented educational disruption. Our solutions cannot be structured around only the formal school system and must provide better support for parents and caregivers, often at the frontline of the education crisis.

Education will look very different in five years. In conflict and climate-affected areas, we’ll see more displaced families and fewer functional school systems. Parents and caregivers will have to continue taking a bigger role in their children’s learning. And while AI and digital technology offer unique, exciting opportunities, the under-resourced families who most need new educational solutions may not be able to access them.

Together, you and Worldreader are well-placed to address the learning crisis because we’re already firmly centering on family learning. We know that the one thing every parent will have – whether they’re displaced, seeking refuge, or from a low-income community – is a mobile phone. From day one, we made it our priority to enable parents to use their digital devices to engage with their children’s learning. And from day one, we made our BookSmart app accessible across devices. Because as incredibly challenging as it can be to ensure all caregivers have access to effective digital education technology, we cannot miss out on the opportunity to help all parents be effective first teachers to their children.

Our research in Kenya shows that parents and caregivers are excited about reading with their children. When asked about their child’s post-reading behavior, the vast majority said that books made their child happier and more confident. Few things get a parent more excited than seeing their kid happy. Yet lack of access to quality books, time, and confidence in their own reading skills can get in the way.

Reading heroes like Dr. Reshma Thadani, who’s made her clinic in California “Kinder Ready” by providing learning materials in a friendly clinic environment for families less connected to early childhood education programs, tell us that BookSmart is “a perfect solution” for the parents they work with, who find it hard to access physical books and often need bilingual materials.

That’s why in 2024, we’ll continue to listen to the voices of parents and caregivers to improve our one-stop reading solution BookSmart. We’ll continue finding the most effective ways to enhance children’s literacy and family learning, listening to the needs and challenges of the families we serve. We’ll continue learning from their reading behavior, understanding what are the best times, ways, and materials that will help them make reading part of their home life.

Much more than a library, BookSmart has already become a place of wonder and growth for the whole family. No matter where they are, their busy schedule, their reading levels, parents can rely on a trusted tool. A resource that can support their children’s learning at home and on the move, in and out of school. Anytime, anywhere, on any device.

More on this very soon.

Thank you for taking a stand against the learning crisis with us in 2023. I look forward to getting even more children reading together in 2024.

With gratitude,
Rebecca Chandler Leege
CEO of Worldreader