Tennessee Offers Free Reading Resources to Families

State partnership allows families of kids in grades K-2 to access free reading materials

The Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE) has announced that in partnership with the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), free reading resources are now available to Tennessee families with children in grades K-2.

“We know early literacy is incredibly important and sets the foundation for a child’s education and life after graduation,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Thanks to partners like GELF, Tennessee families can easily order free books and resources to make reading fun this winter break and help their children become excellent readers.”

All Tennessee families can order one booklet pack for each of their kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students using this site. 

“Caregivers hold so many roles and responsibilities, and the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is here to support families in giving their children the brightest future,” says James Pond, GELF President. “Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen early literacy by promoting a culture of reading and learning outside of the classroom. When children are on holiday break from school, we encourage families to take a break from the screens and read together with these resources. Books build learners; books bond families.”

The launch of this program is part of the family component of the state’s Reading 360 initiative to help boost strong reading skills amongst Tennessee students. 

The reading resources provided by this initiative come in the form of decodable books. A decodable is a book or story carefully sequenced to include letter sounds and words familiar to readers that allow them to practice important phonics and decoding skills at their grade level. Families can read decodables at home with their children to help them sound out words and build their reading skills.

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