Building Legacy Through Family Literacy
Raleigh & Frayser Literacy Zone
When fathers read, families grow. When families grow, communities become stronger.
FathersFirst Reads is a father-centered family literacy initiative designed to help fathers, father figures, and families become active leaders in their children’s learning.
Three Ways We Build Literacy
FAMILY LITERACY NIGHTS
Read. Connect. Celebrate.
Our family literacy nights bring fathers, children, and families together in welcoming community spaces.
READ WITH ME, LEAD WITH ME
Practical tools for fathers.
Our father centered literacy training helps dads feel confident supporting reading at home.
FATHERS READ. FAMILIES LEAD.
Put books in homes. Put fathers in the driver’s seat.
Families participating in FathersFirst Reads will have access to practical literacy resources they can use immediately.
OUR VISION FOR
RALEIGH & FRAYSER
Literacy Starts
Where Families Live.
The Raleigh and Frayser communities are filled with fathers, families, educators, churches, schools, organizations, and community leaders who care deeply about children.
FathersFirst Reads is about bringing those strengths together. We are building a community where:
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Every child has access to books.
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Every family has tools to support literacy.
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Every father knows he has a role in his child’s education.
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Every neighborhood has champions for reading.
And every child has the opportunity to grow into a confident reader and lifelong learner.
WHY LITERACY MATTERS
Reading Changes More Than Report Cards
Reading is one of the most important foundations for a child’s success in school and beyond. But children do not develop literacy skills in the classroom alone.
What happens at home matters.
Research has found that early parent-child book reading is associated with children’s later vocabulary, reading comprehension, and motivation to read.
Interactive shared reading, such as talking about the story, asking questions, making connections, and encouraging children to respond, can make those moments even more meaningful.
And the good news is that fathers don’t need to be reading experts to make a difference.
They just need to show up, open the book, and engage.
THE MEMPHIS LITERACY CHALLENGE
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is making progress, but there is still significant work to do.
These numbers represent real children, real families, and real opportunities. We believe families are part of the solution.
FathersFirst Reads is designed to bring literacy support beyond the school building and into the places where children live, learn, and grow.
25.7%
of MSCS students in grades 3–12 demonstrated proficiency in English Language Arts on the 2026 TCAP results.
33.2%
of third-grade students were proficient in ELA according to the MSCS March 2026 district scorecard.
32%
of Tennessee fourth-graders were proficient in reading on the 2024 NAEP assessment, compared with 30% nationally.
The Moments That Matter Can Be Simple.
QUALITY TIME IS MORE THAN TIME
Quality time doesn’t have to mean an expensive activity, a special trip, or hours of free time. Sometimes quality time looks like:
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10 minutes on the couch with a book.
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Asking, “What do you think will happen next?”
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Letting your child choose the story.
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Laughing at a character together.
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Talking about something the story reminds you of.
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Saying, “I’m proud of you.”
These moments create opportunities for children to create Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)