In a city where fewer than six in 10 third graders read at grade level, a Cincinnati nonprofit is working to close that gap one student at a time.Winn Reading, a literacy nonprofit focused on kindergarten through third-grade st udents in Cincinnati Public Schools, received a $10,000 grant through the Scripps Howard Fund and WCPO 9, both part of the E.W. Scripps Company, to bring new literacy tools and resources to students.The funding is supporting two initiatives at Rothenberg Academy: decodable book libraries for K-3 students to reinforce phonics instruction, and six iPads for the school's Scripps Spelling Bee preparation through the Word Club app and spellingbee.com resources.WATCH: Cincinnati nonprofit boosts reading skills ahead of fourth grade Cincinnati nonprofit uses $10K Scripps Howard Fund grant to expand literacy supportAccording to Winn Reading's 2025 Impact Report, Cincinnati Public Schools earned a 2-star Early Literacy rating for the 2024-25 school year, with third-grade reading proficiency at 55.8%, meaning roughly 11 students in a typical classroom of 25 are not reading at grade level. Nationally, the percentage of eighth graders with below-basic reading skills is now the highest it has been in 30 years.Kay Limbach, founder and executive director of Winn Reading, said the need became clear to her before the organization even existed."I was doing some tutoring on my own at the library, and I had a first-grade boy come to me who needed help with reading, and he was very good at math. But when we went to do his math homework, I realized he couldn't read the directions for his math homework, and so that just kind of stuck in my mind. I thought there are so many kids out there who need extra help with reading, so I started Winn Reading during COVID," Limbach said.In 2025, the organization served 180 students, placed 44 literacy mentors in schools, logged more than 2,200 volunteer hours and hosted 14 community storytime events.Winn Reading's core model pairs trained literacy mentors with students identified by teachers as needing additional reading support. Mentors work with students one-on-one, once a week for an hour, providing consistent, relationship-based support."We find many of them just lack confidence. You know, for some reason, they just feel like they can't do it, and that relationship with their mentor helps them have the confidence to try," Limbach said.The organization also expanded its tutoring services to seventh grade in 2025, a move that revealed just how far reading gaps can follow students."These seventh grade boys were reading on like a second grade level, and we did make progress with them. We tried to make it fun, but also not let them feel like they were behind with reading," Limbach said.She said the problem extends even further up the grade levels."We had a mom who's a high school teacher here in Cincinnati, and she teaches 11th grade, and she has students all the way from a third-grade reading level up to like a 12th-grade reading level, so there are so many children and kids in the schools today that have not learned to read," Limbach said.That reality is part of why Winn Reading remains focused on early intervention."K through third grade is what Winn Reading likes to focus on because those are the years that children learn to read, and the idea is when they go on to fourth grade, they're reading to learn. But we're having kids that are going on to fourth grade who are not reading even close to their reading level," Limbach said.For families unfamiliar with the term, Limbach explained what makes decodable books different from standard early readers."The idea is the child has learned those skills in that decodable book, so that they should have the knowledge and be able to sound out the words. Usually, too, the decodable books have a good story. Some of the early readers it's not much fun to read. There's not much of a story, but the decodable books have a story that they can follow. But the important thing is that they should be able to read most of the words on their own," Limbach said.At Rothenberg Academy, the decodable books were selected to align with themes students were already studying in class."So it just gave the kids more information to read and decodable; they could read it and be able to sound out the words. So we tried to match the program in the school with the decodables," Limbach said.Beyond Rothenberg, the Scripps Howard Fund grant is also helping Winn Reading train mentors, purchase additional decodable books for other students and cover the cost of required background checks for mentors working in Cincinnati Public Schools."It helps to train our mentors, which is very important to us, so that they're properly trained in reading with children in the schools. It also will help us buy more decodable books for other students who need them, and it also helps us to grow with more materials," Limbach said.The grant also supports Winn Reading's "Read and Reach" summer tutoring program, which wrapped up its final week of sessions. The program serves kindergarten through third grade students referred by teachers or enrolled by returning families."We make it fun in the summer. They get a prize every week. They get a new book to take home," Limbach said.Winn Reading currently works with students at Rothenberg Academy, Sands Montessori, Mount Washington School and Pleasant Ridge Montessori its newest partner school.In addition to in-school mentoring and summer tutoring, the organization hosts community storytimes on the fourth Saturday of every month at the Potted Palm in Mount Washington and supports school literacy nights by helping parents learn how to incorporate reading at home.Anne Whitman, a stay-at-home mother whose son attends Sands Montessori, has been involved with Winn Reading for three years. She first learned about the organization from her son's first-grade teacher at Mount Washington Elementary."The challenges are getting a child to read a book. Now, I have a child who will walk through and pick up every book and want to read it, but then the challenge is actually opening it up and reading it, comprehending it, being able to talk about it. So that's what Winn Reading does. They help with building that confidence in wanting to open the book and read it and learn about it and talk about it," Whitman said.Her son is entering fourth grade this fall. She said the progress she has seen has been meaningful."I have seen lots of improvements. I've seen like the willingness to want to read a story and being interested in a story, and that confidence that he has built just by wanting to tell me about what he's read, so it's not just showing me the pictures and/or showing me like the cool cover, but it's getting more involved," Whitman said.Whitman said the consistency of the program across the school year and into the summer has made a difference for her family."It keeps that sense of community. Winn Reading isn't only just in our schools; it is not just in our summer programs. It's also in our community," Whitman said.She encourages other parents to seek out similar support for their children."If your child is having a difficult time reading, get them involved in a program that is dedicated and committed to helping the youth and helping the kids because it really does build their confidence, and it helps them become better humans," Whitman said.Limbach said the organization's mission remains straightforward, even as it continues to grow."We just want to keep helping kids. That's what our goal is. It's always on the kids and helping them learn to read, become more confident and enthusiastic about reading," Limbach said.She also offered a simple recommendation for families at home."Just reading 10 minutes, having your child read 10 minutes a day, or reading as a family 10 minutes, that really helps your child do well in school," Limbach said.Winn Reading accepts donations and is active on Instagram and Facebook. The organization also participates in Giving Tuesday each year. ...read more read less