Grandmas 4 Literacy

In a city where thirty-five percent of parents are grandparents, Philadelphia holds a powerful force for education. Grandmas4Literacy, led by a Philadelphia grandmother educator, is a pilot that meets grandmothers where they already are—classrooms, senior centers, churches, and front porches—to address the literacy crisis head-on. By equipping neighborhood grandmothers with professional training and evidence-based strategies, the program grows grandmother involvement and community participation so that strong literacy skills are within reach for every child.

The approach is grounded in the research of Nobel Laureate James Heckman—Invest + Develop + Sustain = Gain. By investing early in literacy and nurturing skills like persistence through intergenerational care, the program provides the daily, consistent support children need in the critical early school years.

These grandmothers are becoming certified experts: Grandmas4Literacy invests in high-level training, including certification in the Wilson Reading System and other advanced literacy programs. And because honoring a grandmother's lifestyle strengthens participation, training comes to the spaces where these women already lead.

A signature element is the Crochet and Read Program. Crochet is a developmental tool disguised as play: it strengthens the fine motor control essential for writing, mirrors the sequential processing required for reading, grounds restless learners, and turns every finished row into a visible win.

 Grandmothers know the value of a good education. They see the need first-hand, and—as they always do — they are leading the way: tapping experts, networking across neighborhoods, and building the resilient communities that let Philadelphia's children thrive.