Winn Reading: Empowering Young Readers Through Community Support

Winn Reading, a remarkable initiative founded by Kay Limbach in 2021, is dedicated to transforming the reading experience for K-3rd grade students in Cincinnati. Recently awarded a modest small grant from Kars4Kids, the organization aims to provide personalized literacy mentoring to young learners, particularly those from underserved communities. The mission of Winn Reading is clear: to cultivate confident, enthusiastic readers who can thrive in their educational journey.

Through the dedication of volunteers, who serve as literacy mentors, Winn Reading pairs one-on-one literacy mentors with students to offer tailored instruction during the school day. By fostering meaningful relationships and utilizing a structured, multisensory approach to learning, the program addresses the critical challenges faced during the pandemic and ensures that no child is left behind. As the organization gears up to expand its reach and impact, its commitment to nurturing a love for reading and building essential skills remains unwavering.

We put some questions to Winn Reading Founder and President Kay Limbach to learn more about this work:

Kars4Kids: Winn Reading was founded in the fall of 2021. What motivated you to launch your initiative at that time and what specifically did you set out to accomplish?

Kay Limbach: I had a desire to help students in K-3rd grade become more confident with reading skills. I wanted students to receive help during the school day by volunteer literacy mentors. These mentors would form a relationship with the students by showing up weekly for a tutoring session. The pandemic caused students to become even more behind in reading. I chose the K-3rd grade age range because these are the years students learn to read. Once students enter 4th grade they should be reading to learn.

Kars4Kids: Tell us a bit about the kids you serve. In terms of demographics, are they from a specific sector? What are their ages? Why do they need what you offer at Winn Reading?

Kay Limbach: At Winn Reading, we serve students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, primarily from Cincinnati public schools. Many of the children we work with come from underserved communities and may face challenges such as limited access to individualized academic support or language barriers.

These early elementary years are critical for developing strong literacy skills, and our program is designed to meet students where they are with one-on-one, personalized instruction. Beyond building reading proficiency, we also focus on motivating kids to enjoy reading; helping them discover that books can be fun, empowering, and a gateway to new ideas and confidence.

Kars4Kids: Are your tutors volunteers? How many tutors do you have at present? Are some of them tutoring more than one child, or are the numbers of tutors and students about the same?

Kay Limbach: Our tutors are dedicated volunteers from a range of backgrounds—including retired educators, college students, and community members who are passionate about literacy. Currently, we have 33 active tutors who work with an average of 55 students each week. While we strive to maintain consistent one-to-one pairings, most tutors do work with more than one child each week to help meet the demand. Each tutor meets with their students once a week, providing regular, personalized instruction that helps build both skills and trust over time.

Kars4Kids: Do your tutors undergo any sort of training? How do you prepare them for working with the kids?

Kay Limbach: Yes, all of our tutors receive training to ensure they feel confident and prepared to work with students. Before they begin tutoring, volunteers participate in an orientation that covers our approach to literacy, the structure of sessions, and best practices for working with young readers, especially those who may be struggling or need extra encouragement.

Our phonics-based trainings are inspired by the Orton-Gillingham method, which is a structured, multisensory approach proven to be effective for early readers and students with learning differences. In addition to the initial training, we offer ongoing support throughout the year, including staff check-ins, resource sharing, and optional workshops on specific instructional strategies.

While we provide many of the core materials used in tutoring sessions, our tutors often incorporate resources shared by the child’s classroom teacher as well. This collaboration helps reinforce what students are learning at school and ensures greater consistency and support across their learning environments.

Kars4Kids: How does the tutoring work? How often do your tutors meet with the students and for how long? Do they meet inside the classroom? After school? How much do parents pay for your services?

Kay Limbach: Our tutoring program is designed to provide personalized, one-on-one support to help students build their reading skills. Tutors meet with students once a week for approximately 20-45 minutes, depending on the child’s age and attention level. The shorter sessions are generally for younger children, while older students may benefit from the longer sessions.

Tutoring takes place during the school day, but outside of the physical classroom, typically in a communal workspace or cafeteria. This allows students to receive focused, individualized attention without the distractions of a regular classroom environment.

The best part is that our services are completely free of charge. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in reading, regardless of their family’s financial situation, and are proud to offer this support at no cost to parents or guardians.

Kars4Kids: How are the children you tutor referred to you? Do their parents sign them up? A teacher?

Kay Limbach: Children are referred to our program through a collaborative effort with classroom teachers. We’re put in touch with teachers through key contacts within the school, who help connect us with students in need of additional reading support. The teacher then identifies which students would most benefit from our services, based on their individual needs and reading levels.

Once the teacher has made the recommendation, we work closely with the school to ensure the child receives the right support and is paired with a tutor who can help them succeed.

Kars4Kids: Winn Reading offers storytime events. Can you tell us a bit about this program? Is there a fee to attend?

Kay Limbach: Winn Reading offers monthly storytime events that are open to the community and completely free of charge. These events are held at a local business, The Potted Palm, providing a cozy, welcoming environment for children and families. Each month, we read 2-3 age-appropriate and seasonally relevant books that engage children with exciting stories and vibrant illustrations.

At the end of each session, we host a craft activity related to the books we’ve read, allowing kids to explore their creativity and connect more deeply with the stories. It’s a fun and interactive way to encourage a love of reading and give children a positive, hands-on experience with books.

Kars4Kids: Tell us about Cincy Reads.

Kay Limbach: Cincy Reads is a city-wide celebration of literacy, hosted in partnership with the Ohio governor’s Imagination Library and the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. At Winn Reading, we proudly participate in Cincy Reads as part of our shared mission to foster a love of reading and support early literacy development across our community.

The initiative brings together families, educators, and community organizations for a variety of literacy-focused events, including book giveaways, storytelling sessions, author visits, and volunteer engagement opportunities. It’s a vibrant, collaborative effort to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to books and the support they need to become confident readers.

By participating in Cincy Reads, we’re able to connect with more families, raise awareness about the importance of early literacy, and deepen our impact in partnership with others who care deeply about reading and equity.

Kars4Kids: Would you share a success story with us?

Kay Limbach: Of course, I have a success story from one of our literacy mentors. She works with first grades in a Title 1 school. She was working with a student who is learning to speak English as a second language, and is also learning to read in English. Her native language is Spanish and her family speaks Spanish at home. During their tutoring sessions, this student has fun practicing skills, learning words, and playing reading games. The literacy mentor gave her a book to read at home with her family as well as flashcards. The next tutoring session the student was bubbling over with excitement because she read the book to her mama and they were learning to read the English words together. Our literacy mentors never know how far their work will reach.

Kars4Kids: What’s next for Winn Reading?

Kay Limbach: Looking ahead, Winn Reading is excited to expand our impact by partnering with additional schools in the upcoming year. Our goal is to reach more students who can benefit from our one-on-one tutoring, helping them build strong literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading. By growing our program into new schools, we can support even more children, particularly those who need individualized attention to succeed in reading.

In addition to our school-year tutoring, we continue to offer a summer tutoring program. This initiative will provide continued support during the summer months, ensuring that students don’t lose progress over the break and stay engaged with their reading skills. The summer program will offer flexible, individualized sessions to help students maintain and even accelerate their literacy development, setting them up for success when they return to school in the fall.

We’re excited about these new steps and the opportunity to serve more children in our community, helping them reach their full potential.