Our Story
We’re on a mission to ensure that every student is a confident, independent reader.
2019
The Spark for Ignite Reading
Looking to help kids in her community learn to read, future Ignite Reading co-founder Jessica Sliwerski volunteered to coach Sabrina Causey, a new first-grade teacher at a school in Oakland, CA, with only 2% reading proficiency. Using the same differentiated curriculum Ignite Reading uses today, the two educators immediately started seeing results—and those results gained attention. When the pandemic moved learning online, Jess helped Sabrina adapt the curriculum to a virtual format with equally impressive results—further proof of what’s possible through consistent, evidence-based instruction.
2021
A Successful Pilot
Jess met Ignite Reading co-founder and CEO of EducationSuperHighway, Evan Marwell, and the two saw potential to deliver and scale differentiated reading instruction over Zoom. Ignite Reading launched its first in-school pilot and delivered impressive results. Students made 2.4 weeks of reading growth for every week in the program, and there were no achievement gaps for students of color, low-income students, students with IEPs, or multilingual learners.
Today
Ensuring Every Student Is a Reader
Ignite Reading is training tutors to be expert reading instructors who provide students with the differentiated instruction they need. We are tutoring students in districts across the country, welcoming new district partners, and working tirelessly toward our goal of ensuring every student has the foundational skills to be a confident, independent reader by the end of first grade.
How We’re Helping Districts Meet Their Literacy Goals
Ignite Reading’s one-to-one tutoring, rooted in the Science of Reading, gives every student the targeted foundational skills instruction they need. Districts partner with Ignite Reading to provide differentiated instruction at scale, to shore up students’ reading skills gaps and to provide teachers with actionable data for supporting every student’s reading journey.
