District Initiatives

Harlem Reads & Writes

Building strong readers, writers, and confident communicators.

Harlem Reads & Writes is District 5's literacy initiative focused on helping students grow as readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers.

Literacy is essential for learning across all subjects. It also helps students express their ideas, understand others, and build confidence in their voices.

For students

What students experience

  • Strong reading and writing instruction
  • Opportunities to talk about texts and ideas
  • Vocabulary and comprehension development
  • Writing for real purposes
  • Culturally relevant texts and topics, where appropriate
  • Opportunities to share their voice through writing and discussion

For schools

How schools are supported

  • Literacy-focused professional learning
  • Instructional support
  • Data review and progress monitoring
  • Shared tools and resources
  • Support for districtwide literacy priorities