Rising Reading Star: Emiliano’s Story

When Emiliano started coming to CI Reading in fall of 2021, he was completely closed off. He found reading frustrating and hard, and he was distrustful of the adults who tried to help.

At CI Reading, we love skeptical students! They challenge us to find new ways to empower them with the joy of life-long learning. We sat with Emiliano to discover what piques his curiosity. We provided learning opportunities that combined reliable literacy lessons with interest-based resources.


Now, Emiliano arrives each week open to learning! He has discovered a love for “choose your own adventure” books. So, his tutor spent hours mapping out every possible ending for the book they were reading together. The two had so much fun working their way through all the different scenarios!

Last week, Emiliano even asked for his own copy of the book to read at home. Thanks to the generosity of our many book donors we were able to provide that for him.


“CI Reading means a lot to me. Now I’m a faster reader and like to read for fun,” says Emiliano.

Emiliano may have started out a skeptical student, but he’s become a rising reading star! He knows that CI Reading is a safe space to engage and learn. He has realized that reading is an adventure. He’s learning that he can believe in his own potential.