About Us
Reading Assist provides high-impact, science-of-reading-based literacy instruction for students in kindergarten through third grade across Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Washington, DC. We partner with schools serving children who face the greatest barriers to reading success.
Through tutoring, professional learning, and school-based capacity building, we support students with significant reading challenges, as well as the educators who serve them.
Our Mission
Reading Assist provides intensive services for young, at-risk children with the most significant reading challenges so that they achieve reading progress and proficiency.
The Problem:
A Systemic Literacy Crisis
Traditional classrooms cannot fix systemic literacy gaps alone. For students facing systemic barriers, including those with dyslexia, English language learners, and children in under-resourced communities, a lack of targeted support compounds early reading struggles. Without integrated intervention, these early challenges quickly turn into long-term equity and opportunity gaps.
Why Early Reading Matters
The cost of inaction impacts a child’s entire life trajectory:
of children from low-income households lack reading proficiency by 3rd grade.
of struggling readers won’t catch up after 3rd grade without targeted intervention.
greater likelihood of dropping out of high school for poor readers nationwide.
of juveniles in the court system are functionally illiterate.
The Solution:
An Ecosystem-Wide Framework
Reading Assist provides accredited literacy programs that integrate directly into the academic schedule. We manage the entire implementation, bridging the gap between classroom instruction, administrative strategy, and student needs.
We achieve this sustainable, school-wide impact through four interconnected pillars:
High-Impact Tutoring
Our dedicated tutors deliver intensive reading support for 30–40 minutes daily, ensuring the highest-need students receive the foundational skills necessary to thrive.
Literacy Leaders Coaching
We build sustainable internal capacity by coaching and empowering schools to effectively support struggling readers using their own existing teaching staff.
Professional Learning
We drive systemic classroom improvement at scale by equipping educators with specialized, evidence-based training that elevates reading skills across entire grade levels.
Community-Based Partnerships
True literacy support extends beyond the school walls. We partner with community-based organizations to surround families and students with wrap-around literacy resources.
Our Impact
Our trained tutors provide one-on-one or small-group instruction to students in the lowest 25% for reading proficiency, helping students master essential reading benchmarks within one school year.
Through consistent, data-driven instruction:
- 90% of students reached benchmark levels in at least one foundational reading skill.
- 75% of kindergartners met grade-level benchmarks.
- Students gained up to 17 months of learning in a single school year.
Beyond the Classroom
Reading Assist’s work extends far beyond daily tutoring sessions. In partnership with schools, community organizations, and state and local governments, we expand access to high-impact literacy support across the broader community.
In addition to school-based support, we:
- Provide after-school literacy programming to maintain learning momentum.
- Collaborate on statewide and community literacy initiatives that ensure students receive structured, research-based instruction wherever they learn.
- Deliver professional learning and coaching to strengthen instructional capacity within schools.
- Lead the Tutors to Teachers Delaware partnership with Wilmington University to prepare and equip the next generation of literacy educators.
By supporting both students and the educators who serve them, Reading Assist strengthens literacy outcomes across the region.
Accreditations & Credentials
Reading Assist delivers IMSLEC-accredited, science of reading-aligned interventions through trained AmeriCorps Fellows, consistently bringing 85% of students or more to benchmarks in foundational reading skills.
Our Story
It started with a mother’s determination. In 1979, Virginia “Ginger” Biasotto refused to let her 12-year-old son fall behind due to his reading struggles. Diving deep into Orton-Gillingham methodologies, she developed a custom, multi-sensory reading curriculum right at her kitchen table. What began as a personal mission quickly spread to friends and neighbors, evolving into a dedicated volunteer network in local Delaware elementary schools, and officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1989.
A turning point in systemic impact.
Over the next two decades, Reading Assist’s proven framework caught the attention of state education leaders. In 2013, the Delaware Board of Education turned to the organization for formal guidance on effective literacy instruction. Recognizing the need for more intensive, consistent intervention, Reading Assist launched its flagship Fellowship Program in 2015 in partnership with AmeriCorps. This allowed trained Fellows to deliver critical, high-frequency tutoring (45 minutes a day, five days a week) directly to the students who needed it most.
Building lasting literacy capacity today.
Today, Reading Assist has grown from that single kitchen table into a vital regional literacy implementation partner. Serving more than 2,300 students across the Mid-Atlantic region, our work has expanded far beyond traditional tutoring. Through school-wide coaching, professional learning, and strategic teacher pipeline initiatives, we do not just help children read. Instead, we help entire school systems build the lasting capacity to sustain literacy for generations to come.
Meet the People Behind the Work
Get to know the staff, leadership, and board members helping advance Reading Assist’s mission.
Bring Reading Assist to Your School or District
Reading Assist partners with schools and districts to provide targeted literacy support for students and long-term support for educators.
Expand Literacy Support in Your Community
Reading Assist works with community partners to bring structured reading support to students beyond the school day and school building.