SMART Reading

Mission

To spark joy and opportunity through the magic of a shared book.

Bottom Line

For nearly thirty five years, SMART Reading has been a trusted partner in helping Oregon’s kids become strong, confident readers. Our work is built on two proven, research backed supports: one-on-one reading practice with trained volunteers and access to high quality books. Each week, SMART volunteers sit side by side with students, building confidence and joy through shared reading. Our Book Bank restores and redistributes thousands of books, putting them directly into the hands of children and families.

The need has never been greater. Children who are not reading at benchmark level by third grade are four times more likely to not graduate high school and that risk is three times higher for children in low-income households. By providing the right support at the right time, SMART Reading helps close this gap, ensuring every child has the tools to thrive in school and beyond. In the 2025-26 school year, our organization reached 23,227 students with reading support and provided 180,773 high-quality books to keep!

Quote

"A truly wonderful program for our kids. My students would remind me when it was SMART reading day! They would eagerly line up when it was their time and return excited about reading!! And my test scores (not that they matter) exceeded my expectations thanks to this program, everything helps!” - Jackie Ayala, Teacher in Multnomah County

Gift Matching

The Standard is generously matching $25,000 in Give!Guide donations to SMART Reading - double your impact today!

Partner(s)

Thanks to our non-profit partners, Dress for Success Oregon and Self Enhancement, Inc. - show their pages some love!