
Oakland is a Reading Town!
This campaign, led in partnership by the Oakland Literacy Coalition and Oakland Unified School District, is built on the simple but powerful principle that every child in Oakland deserves the power of reading.
WHY READING MATTERS
Why it matters
Reading is more than a skill. It is a pathway to joy, belonging, justice, and power. When young people have access to books that speak to them, spaces that welcome them, and adults who champion reading, motivation follows. Habits form. Identity deepens.
A Reading Town is a community where reading is visible across schools, programs, and public spaces — valued by youth and adults alike, woven into the fabric of daily life, and celebrated as something worth doing.
Oakland is becoming that city. And it takes all of us.

What you're committing to:

ACCESS
Make reading easy, visible, and engaging
-Offer high-interest, culturally affirming books in a variety of formats (print, audio, digital)
-Create welcoming, visible reading spaces
-Ensure young people have consisten access to books

BLOCK TIME to read and talk-
Make reading a regular, shared experience:
-Dedicate time for independent reading, reading with peers, or reading with an adult
-Incorporate interactive read-alouds
-Create space for conversation: discussing, reflecting on, and recommending books

CULTURE
Make reading visible, joyful, and social:
-Encourage adults to model and share their own reading lives
- Create communal reading experiences
- Celebrate reading as a way to connect, learn, and belong
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Participating Organizations
These organizations have pledged to help build a citywide culture of reading in Oakland.
Join them.
For parents and caregivers
THE MAGIC OF 20 MINUTES
Reading just 20 minutes a day at home can change your child’s life. It exposes them to over 1.8 million words a year, which is the “secret sauce” to helping them become a top-tier reader.
One of the most powerful things you can do for your child’s reading
is to read aloud to them every day!
For teachers and schools
This is a citywide effort, schools, families, libraries, and community organizations all play a role. Within schools, the focus is on increasing the volume, quality, and joy of reading every day.
Please contact Jamilah Sanchez, OUSD Director of Early Literacy, for more details.

