A $4.67 million grant from the Hollyhock Foundation is fueling MSJ’s development of an innovative, research-based literacy curriculum designed to strengthen early reading skills and improve outcomes for young learners.
Mount St. Joseph University’s Center for Reading Science is making significant waves in the field of early childhood education. Driven by a major $4.67M grant from the Hollyhock Foundation, our multidisciplinary team is leading a groundbreaking initiative: the Reading Opens Worlds (ROW) Integrated Literacy Curriculum.
This substantial investment reflects confidence in MSJ’s leadership in literacy education and directly funds the research, development, and school partnerships required to transform how young children learn to read.
The Challenge & The Vision
Current K–2 literacy curricula are often fragmented and misaligned across instructional tiers. Teachers frequently find themselves piecing together multiple programs to fully cover important reading skills, often leaving little time for content-rich instruction in science and social studies.
To address this, the ROW project team is creating an open-source, comprehensive Preschool – 2nd grade curriculum built on a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. The curriculum is being developed by MSJ experts with input from national literacy leaders and is being piloted in real time with input from educators. ROW combines phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, writing, oral language, and content knowledge into a single, cohesive model.
Real Impact in the Classroom
The power of this grant-funded work is already showing up in local classrooms. During the 2025–2026 school year, our pilot in a Cincinnati kindergarten classroom (where 91% of students were multilingual learners and 100% qualified for free or reduced lunch) yielded extraordinary results:
- 100% of students scored at or above benchmark on end-of-year Acadience Reading measures.
- Most students surpassed mid-year benchmarks for 1st grade in Whole Words Read.
- Students demonstrated significant growth in oral language comprehension on the CUBED assessment.
- Strong results were maintained across the summer with 92% of students scoring at or above benchmark on the fall 1st grade Acadience Reading measures.
Looking Ahead to 2026–2027
Thanks to this multi-year funding, our team is expanding its footprint for the 2026–2027 academic year:
- Curriculum Expansion: Refining Kindergarten materials and developing the full 1st-grade scope, sequence, and unit lessons.
- School Partnerships: Continuing work with our founding pilot school (Preschool–1st grade) while onboarding new partner schools to implement Preschool and Kindergarten programs.
- On-the-Ground Support and Input from our Partner Schools: Providing embedded professional learning, coaching, and modeling directly to classroom teachers. Seeking educator feedback to ensure ROW works for teachers.
The ROW Curriculum Project represents an enormous investment of expertise, time, and collaborative energy. It positions Mount St. Joseph University at the forefront of evidence-based literacy design while significantly narrowing the opportunity gap for students in our local community.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the faculty, staff, school partners, and to The Hollyhock Foundation, whose vision and support make this transformative work possible!