Members of the PA State Legislature and 'Abbott Elementary' actress Sheryl Lee Ralph celebrate launch & expansion of the United States of Readers literacy program across Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania becomes 2nd state to launch special literacy program to provide book choice and access for nearly 3,500 Title I students in five school districts
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus May 7, 2025 | 2:13 PM
HARRISBURG, May 7, 2025 – Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, today teamed up with members of the Pennsylvania State Legislature to celebrate the launch and expansion of the United States of Readers program, featuring Sheryl Lee Ralph the cast member from the award-winning television show Abbott Elementary. Currently, this special literacy program is providing free books to nearly 3,500 Pre-K-8th grade students attending Title I schools in five Pennsylvania school districts: Pittston Area School District, Riverside School District, School District of Philadelphia, School District for the City of York and the Pittsburgh School District and seeking to expand it across Pennsylvania. The United States of Readers is a first-of-its-kind program that features a curated selection of grade-level appropriate books for students to choose. The program was first launched in Massachusetts in October 2024.
Cast member and Emmy award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph from Abbott Elementary, who plays longtime kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, today joined the event to address students and bring awareness to the importance of a strong public education and the struggles of inner-city schools—as depicted in the mockumentary series fictionally based in a Philadelphia public elementary school. The students attending the event also received two free books from Scholastic to celebrate the statewide launch: A Day at Abbott Elementary, and The Official Abbott Elementary Coloring Book.
“Year after year, literacy assessments capture how our schools cannot bridge the literacy gaps on their own. The mission of the United States of Readers program is for every child to choose and own their books and feel happy and empowered about reading,” said Scholastic’s Chief Impact Officer, Judy Newman. “We are thrilled to celebrate the statewide launch of this program in Pennsylvania, where Scholastic was founded over 100 years ago, with members of the State Legislature and special guests from Abbott Elementary. We hope these districts will be a model for others across the country, so every child can reap the benefits of choosing their own books and developing their reading proficiency and self-confidence as readers.”
“As we continue legislative efforts to address challenges in Pennsylvania’s public school system, it is a pleasure to celebrate Scholastic’s United States of Readers program alongside my wife, Sheryl Lee Ralph, to support literacy in elementary schools,” said State Senator Vincent Hughes. “As a former library administrator, I have seen firsthand the power of reading and the impact it can make on students. Our Title I schools are particularly challenged and will benefit from giving students the choice to read and own books they are interested in– while also filling up our classrooms with free books for our hardworking teachers. Today’s statewide celebration is a win for Pennsylvania students, made even more special by the support from the cast of Abbott Elementary.”
According to research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™, over 90% of children reported that the books they pick for themselves are their favorite books, and they are more likely to finish. Pennsylvania students participating in the United States of Readers program will choose ten new books to add to their at-home libraries at no cost to families, beginning this spring and continuing into the next school year. In addition, teachers at participating schools will each receive 25 books for their classroom library, further expanding book choice and access for the entire school community.
“As my character, kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard would say, ‘You must get things done,’ and that is exactly what the State Legislature and Scholastic are doing by bringing this program to Pennsylvania,” said Emmy Award-winning actress and Abbott Elementary cast member Sheryl Lee Ralph. “Literacy is critically important to our students and a powerful tool to open doors and pave the way for a successful future. It is wonderful to be here to support today’s event and I cannot think of a better way for Abbott Elementary to play a meaningful role in supporting education for students, teachers and our communities—right here in Pennsylvania.”
“We are working hard to improve Pennsylvania’s public school system and introducing the United States of Readers program is a pivotal way to support literacy and set our students up for success,” said State Representative Carol Hill-Evans (D-York County). “Understanding it takes incredible effort to make meaningful changes to address inequities in education, I am confident that Scholastic’s program will empower students and help them discover the joys of reading. We look forward to not only seeing the positive impact in our classrooms but also finding ways to expand this opportunity to more students in York County and across the state.”
“As a former teacher, I know firsthand that reading can be fun and inspirational for our students—especially when they have the power to choose their own books,” said Representative Jordan A. Harris (D-Philadelphia County). “Since introducing this special literacy program in some of our Title I schools, we have witnessed the positive development for students and teachers. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to make the United States of Readers available for more school districts across Pennsylvania in the future.”
“Reading is fundamental, and we need it in life to succeed,” said State Representative Jim Haddock (D-Pittston Township). “When this program was introduced in my district at the Riverside Elementary Schools in Lackawanna County, I witnessed firsthand the energy and excitement of the students and teachers who get to pick books of their choice for Scholastic’s United States of Readers program. The youth of today will be our future doctors, teachers and businesspeople and supporting literacy is fundamental to their success. I am grateful that we were able to include funding in the state budget to make this program possible and look forward to bringing this program to more schools to replicate its success.”
The United States of Readers program, founded by Scholastic and co-created with classroom teachers, aims to bridge the gap of literacy and book inequity, specifically in high Title I schools and rural areas where students have little or no opportunity to choose books they are motivated to read, and build their home libraries. The program is supported through state funding, foundations, and private philanthropy contributions. Initial state funding was allocated by the State Legislature in the Fiscal Year (FY 25) budget, with the goal of expanding the program in the future to more schools in Pennsylvania and across the United States.
“The United States of Readers is an excellent tool to create a stronger learning environment for our students,” said State Representative Jessica Benham (D-Allegheny). “We are thrilled that Pennsylvania is the second state in the country to allocate state funding for this program to empower students to choose their own books and help teachers fill their classrooms with 25 new books. Today’s event is an important celebration to make our progress, and we look forward to expanding this opportunity to more students in the future.”
This program comes at a time when reading skills continue to decline, with millions of students reading below grade level. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, only 67% of eighth-graders hit the federal benchmark scoring at a basic or above in reading level, representing a historic low, and only 60% of fourth-graders hit this benchmark in 2024—underscoring a national crisis in student literacy.
Pennsylvania is the second state to launch this special literacy program in local school districts, following the Massachusetts launch and Scholastic’s two-year pilot program, which began in 2021 and was funded by bestselling author James Patterson. The pilot program served 45,000 students in 2,200 classrooms in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. From its inception, the program has offered expertly curated titles to reflect books children love– best-selling series’ including Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man, Ann Martin’s Babysitters Club, and Jerry Pallotta’s nonfiction Who Would Win? as well as Newbury and Caldecott winners for all ages.