Sounding out success: Early help for struggling readers

Helping kids build critical literacy skills

A local nonprofit is helping young students who have trouble reading and building critical literacy skills. FOX 13's Mark Wilson reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Inside Sulphur Springs K 8 Community School, PCAT Literacy Ministries helps young students master the basics: letters, sounds, and confidence.

The nonprofit, which stands for Parents and Children Advance Together, works with kindergarten through second grade students identified by their teachers as reading below grade level.

What they're saying:

Executive Director, GiGi Moise, says the program strengthens phonics, fluency, and foundational reading skills during the years that matter most.

Research shows students who are not reading at grade level by third grade are far more likely to fall behind and eventually drop out.

Many children face barriers beyond their control, including language challenges or limited access to early learning programs and books at home.

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By the numbers:

PCAT currently serves 90 students at Ruskin Elementary and 30 at Sulphur Springs, but Moise says the need stretches far beyond those campuses.

For her, the work is personal. She credits a similar program for helping her succeed as the child of immigrants and says she is now committed to giving other children that same opportunity.

PCAT Literacy Ministries partners with local schools to provide targeted reading support and connect families with literacy resources.

What you can do:

If you would like to volunteer or donate, click here.