Blog

Perspectives – Empowering Parents, Igniting Potential

By Jim Wambach
May 19, 2025

With your help, FamilyBridge breaks barriers and builds stronger home-school connections

“The home is the first school, and parents are the first teachers. When parents and educators work together as a team, children thrive academically and emotionally.”

For decades, the children in Oakland’s poorest neighborhood schools have lagged behind students in more affluent schools. And it starts at an early age. Our programs’ second and third graders are already far behind in their reading and math skills. This is primarily because they have not yet received sufficient learning support at home.

Why is this happening?

There’s a combination of reasons. Many one-parent families struggle under the many challenges and burdens of poverty, leaving little time to provide in-home academic support for their children. 40% of our families speak Spanish or Arabic at home and experience language barriers. This makes it difficult for them to communicate with teachers and understand their child’s needs and learning challenges. Many parents are also intimidated about supporting their child’s learning at home simply because they aren’t comfortable with how to do it.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

When Families Are Equipped, Children Succeed

All families want to help their kids. However, many need additional support to help their child thrive. It begins with providing parents with information about what their child is currently learning and how they’re progressing. Combined with in-home educational materials and coaching, the parents develop the confidence and skills to support their child’s learning. Importantly, families need to receive all of this in the language spoken at home so they clearly understand it.

With the help of technology and caring, intentional outreach, all this is now possible. Through FamilyBridge, we’ve supported over 75 families this year to improve in-home learning for the kids. It’s just a start, but we are beginning to see the results! With your generosity, in the 2025–2026 school year, we hope to double the number of students and families we serve through FamilyBridge.

Your gifts will help ensure that all of the children and families in our programs have the tools and support to thrive in this circle of care.

Will you help build stronger bridges between home and school?

Yes, I can help a child learn reading and math!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!

A Legacy of Language: A Bilingual Tutor Helped a Bright Young Reader Soar

By Eric Steckel
May 15, 2025

Your generosity helped Chiara work with a bilingual tutor and learn to read

Something special happens when Vilma Morales sits down to read with Chiara. A Puerto Rican woman who grew up speaking Spanish at home and English at school, Vilma knows exactly what it feels like to bridge two worlds. Her ability to speak Spanish isn’t just a skill—it’s security and comfort for the children she tutors.

Comfort Instills Confidence

Chiara is a bright, talkative second grader who loves coming to Succeeding by Reading. However, despite her enthusiasm and ability to pick things up quickly, she struggles with reading in English.

Like many children in Oakland, she speaks Spanish at home. Learning to read in a language that feels unfamiliar can be daunting.

“When they feel comfortable with you, if there’s something they don’t know, they can tell you without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.”— Vilma Morales, Children Rising Tutor

“Speaking Spanish lets Chiara express herself and feel comfortable,” Vilma explained. “When they feel comfortable with you, if there’s something they don’t know, they can tell you without feeling embarrassed or ashamed.” That comfort and connection created a safe space for learning, where Chiara could take risks, ask questions, and grow.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

“They know that I’m not going to judge them, that I’m going to help them out the best way I can,” she added. “And they feel comfortable with that.”

Opening the Door Between Language and Learning

With Vilma’s support, Chiara has thrived. She has moved from the TK orange zone to the second-grade blue zone, equivalent to two grade levels in six months.

That door between language and learning has to open for many more children. With more than 50% of Oakland students speaking a language other than English at home, bilingual tutors like Vilma are critical.

We need more tutors who can connect across languages and cultures, especially Spanish and Arabic speakers. You can help children like Chiara thrive by volunteering or supporting our programs.

Because every child deserves the chance to read, and every language is a bridge to learning.

Your gifts help children bridge language barriers and thrive in school!

Tutor a child! Yes, I can help a child learn reading and math!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!

 

* Children Rising respects the privacy of our students. While all the stories we share are genuine and true, we change names as needed to protect student privacy.

A Mother’s Love, Strengthened by a Circle of Care

By Eric Steckel
May 14, 2025

You’re helping parents like Monica become powerful partners in their children’s success.

The moment Monica Henderson brought her daughter home—tiny, fragile, and born 16 weeks early—she knew she had to be her daughter’s fiercest advocate.

“We call her Miracle because they say she’s a miracle baby. She weighed a pound and 15 ounces. She fought to be here, and I fight every day for her,” Monica shared.

From an early age, she worked with Miracle on reading activity books and games that helped her learn her ABCs and counting. “The doctors said she might be a little delayed or behind. I didn’t want that for her. So I was like, ‘What can I do as a parent to help her?'”

Miracle was ready

When it came time to enroll in school, the doctors said Miracle was ready.

This year, her teachers discovered that Miracle was lagging behind in reading retention. She enrolled in Succeeding by Reading, and Monica enthusiastically continued to fight for her daughter. She joined FamilyBridge, learning how to reinforce her daughter’s reading skills at home. She and Miracle work on reading comprehension, sight words, and math facts using tools like flashcards and shared reading time.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

“I take what I learn from FamilyBridge and try to help Miracle the same way her tutor does,” Monica shared.

“I’m reassured that I’m doing the right things, and other people are helping me. It takes a lot to raise a child.”

FamilyBridge’s weekly messages and hands-on workshops have given Monica the tools—and encouragement—she needs. “Even the little notes that say what they’re working on… they really help me guide Miracle better,” she said.

Bedtime reading has become a way to enjoy reading together

Reading before bed has become a routine. “I let her pick a book out and then she can read it to me, or if she wants, I’ll read it to her. It just depends, but I try to do it to settle her down and get her to go to sleep.”

Thanks to this team effort, Miracle is gaining both confidence and independence in her schoolwork. Her growth is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when families, tutors, and teachers work together to nurture a child in a circle of care.

“I’m grateful for the support,” Monica said. “We’re both learning. And Miracle is starting to believe in herself.”
With your support, we can continue walking alongside families like Monica’s—offering guidance, encouragement, and the right tools at the right time.

Your gifts help families build a bridge to success.

Tutor a child! Yes, I can help a child learn reading and math!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!

 

* Children Rising respects the privacy of our students. While all the stories we share are genuine and true, we change names as needed to protect student privacy.