WITS Kindergarten
WITS Kindergarten (WITSK) is a one-on-one reading program that takes place at Chicago public elementary schools. Kindergarten students read with a consistent mentor each week, practicing skills and enjoying stories. WITSK encourages a love of reading and learning.
Why WITS Kindergarten is Important
Our partner educators believe that consistent one-on-one support will not only help students academically, but will also fulfill a need for social interaction.
At the end of the 2024-25 school year, an across-program average of 94% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors.
Research shows that interest is a powerful motivational tool that energizes learning and is essential to academic success. Students who develop specific reading interests are more engaged and intrinsically motivated.
80% of WITS-K teachers reported their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 44% from the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
Research shows that reading aloud and talking about what you have read encourages social-emotional learning, empathy, and conversation skills.
According to data from The Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), based on testing from 2025, only 41% of students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.
By year’s end, 62% of WITS students read at or above grade-level, nearly double the rate of 37% for all students at WITS schools.
80% of WITS-K teachers reported their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 44% from the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
91% of WITS students reported having positive attitudes towards reading at the end of the 2024-25 school year, up from 73% at the beginning of the year.
At the end of the 2024-25 school year, an across-program average of 94% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors.
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