A third-grade student with a stutter struggled at first with BuddyBooks because the pacing didn’t allow enough response time. After adjusting the program to meet his needs, something remarkable happened. He began to read, and his reading improved slowly at first, then more quickly. Over the semester, his accuracy and fluency grew steadily. He has now completed 16 books (over 51,000 words) and logged more than 12 hours of reading. In fact, he recorded the most reading time of the 1,450 students using BuddyBooks this fall in Palm Beach County schools. He is very proud of his accomplishment, and he should be.

Since October 2025, third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade Project UpLift students have been using BuddyBooks to build reading skills and confidence. Across our partner schools, students rotate between small-group instruction and BuddyBooks practice, progressing from echo and sentence modes toward paragraph reading.

The results show up in surprising places. One third-grade boy reading below kindergarten level found that BuddyBooks gave him access to books and structured practice that feels successful and joyful, even as his assessment data reflects significant challenges.

This matters because reading practice drives reading achievement. Studies show that in a 90-minute reading block in a non–Project UpLift classroom, students may read for as little as 15 minutes. BuddyBooks changes that by actively engaging students in reading. Intensive practice strengthens the neural connections between visual and language systems that skilled reading requires. With stronger skills comes reduced effort and more time spent enjoying the story.

Inside Project UpLift classrooms, BuddyBooks strengthens a balanced literacy approach. Students engage in phonics lessons, vocabulary games, comprehension discussions, and spelling practice. BuddyBooks ensures that every child has structured, individualized time to read aloud, build fluency, and experience success.

With BuddyBooks, students are completing books. They are speaking confidently into microphones and improving their fluency. Most importantly, they are beginning to see themselves as readers.

When students are surrounded by caring educators and supported by innovative tools like BuddyBooks, growth takes root. Confidence grows. Skills strengthen. Thinking expands. Opportunities open!

At a time when national reading proficiency continues to decline, that shift in identity may be the most powerful outcome of all.