Literacy Leadership Blog

News and reflections from experts and practitioners on the latest literacy research, events and daily practice


< Back

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Honors Learning Ally for Best Practices Serving Children and Youth Who Cannot Read Standard Print in U.S. Schools

Categories: Audiobook Library, dyslexia, Education & Teaching, Funding & Awards, Student Centric Learning

Learning Ally, a leading ed-tech nonprofit reaching more than 375,000 students last year, is one of fifteen honorees receiving the 2018 Library of Congress Literacy Award. The annual award recognizes the outstanding achievements of organizations (national and international) whose innovative and research-based best practices serve to improve literacy worldwide.

Andrew Friedman, CEO of Learning Ally, said, “We are extremely proud of this prestigious recognition and want to congratulate all of the nominees who share a mission of universal literacy. Throughout our history, Learning Ally has worked tirelessly to ensure all students who struggle to read due to learning differences and vision impairments have the same opportunities to realize their full academic potential by providing them with an equitable reading solution.”

Learning Ally has more than 70 years’ experience creating reading accommodations to help struggling readers reach their full academic potential. The organization has an extensive library of high quality human-read audiobooks and a suite of educator tools and resources to ensure student success. Research shows the solution has a positive impact. In a 2018 survey, more than 85% of educators agreed Learning Ally solutions helped students take greater ownership of their learning, achieve academically, and better comprehend grade-level texts.

Today, Learning Ally is driven by a keen desire to provide equal opportunities to learn for all struggling readers so they can succeed academically, and in life. The organization maintains a strong focus on innovation to truly support students with learning differences in tech-enabled classrooms. To better serve each student and support them on a deeper level, Learning Ally has developed more customized launch plans, personalized student reading incentive programs, and real-time reports to monitor student progress. This iterative and inclusive approach to developing products and services ensures all students with learning differences have equitable access to grade level content, can work to their ability, keep pace with their peers, possess a strong belief in self, and have hope for their future.

For Learning Ally, accessibility for all struggling readers is more than an ideal, it’s a promise. The organization believes all students with learning differences can succeed in school and in life with the right support and timely accommodations.

Learn more about Learning Ally’s audiobook solutions for educators and students.

About The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program

Since 2013, The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program awarded $1.4 million to 66 institutions in 30 countries through the generous contributions of David M. Rubinstein. Administered by the Library’s Center for the Book, Congress created the program to stimulate public interest in books and reading, and to encourage development of innovative methods for promoting literacy through effective best practices. This year, a selection committee evaluated 59 nominations with top monetary prizes awarded to Reading Is Fundamental, Washington, DC, East Side Community School, New York City, and Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas del Lenguaje, Mexico City. http://www.read.gov/literacyawards

About Learning Ally

Learning Ally is a leading nonprofit ed-tech organization delivering a comprehensive learning solution for struggling readers in elementary, middle and high schools. Our proven solution includes an extensive library of human-read audiobooks that students want and need to read, along with a suite of teacher-focused resources that ensure student success.

Learning Ally successfully partners with more than 15,000 U.S. schools, districts and leading state education systems across the country to empower over 375,000 students with improved comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and critical thinking skills. For over 70 years, the organization has helped to transform the lives of struggling readers by bridging the gap between their reading capability and their academic potential to become confident, lifelong learners who thrive in school and beyond.


Sign up for the Whole Child Literacy Newsletter

Join our community and get the latest sent right to your inbox! Stay up to date on the latest news, research, and practical guidance. 

Subscribe