WITS Kindergarten
WITS Kindergarten is a one-on-one reading program that takes place at Chicago public elementary schools. Kindergarten students read with a consistent mentor each week, which allows mentors and students to establish a consistent reading rapport and build book print awareness and early literacy skills over the school year.
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 school year, an average of 90% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors.
Seventy-five percent of WITS Kindergarten teachers reported that their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 30% from the beginning of the 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 Spring 2024, only 31% of elementary school students in Chicago Public Schools are proficient in reading.
By the end of the school year, 71% of WITS students had met or exceeded the national standard for reading level proficiency in their grade level, compared to 39% at the beginning of the school year.
Seventy-five percent of WITS Kindergarten teachers reported that their students had developed specialized reading interests throughout the year, an increase of more than 30% from the beginning of the year.
Eighty-four percent of WITS students reported that they liked reading books for fun at the end of the school year, up from 68% at the beginning of the school year.
At the end of the school year, an average of 90% of WITS students reported feeling good or very good about spending time with their mentors.
Program Facilitators
Jessica Gilliam
Program Coordinator
Jackson May
Marketing Coordinator
Tra'Lisha Renteria
Program Specialist
Estefania Rodriguez
Program Coordinator
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