Chicago groups use music to boost early literacy

Education Couture and Kuumba Enterprises are teaming up in Chicago to use music-based lessons and book trailers to strengthen early childhood reading. The effort targets a city where two-thirds of fourth-graders did not meet proficiency in English language arts on the 2025 Illinois Assessment of Readiness.

Why it matters: - Chicago educators are using music to try to improve early reading skills in a city where literacy outcomes remain weak. - The partnership aims to reach Pre-K through fourth grade students with lessons that build both reading ability and motivation to learn. - The collaboration also ties literacy to Chicago-specific stories, which could make reading feel more familiar and engaging for young children.

What happened: - Education Couture, NFP and Kuumba Enterprises are combining their programs to support early childhood literacy in Chicago. - Education Couture uses a proprietary strategy called Reading Music. - Kuumba Enterprises creates Music Video Book Trailers for stories about Chicago's iconic nicknames. - The organizations say music can help address Chicago's literacy challenges and meet children through something they already know and enjoy. - Education Couture's website includes an instructional video at the company's website. - Kuumba Enterprises' Chicago Kidz books are available at The Chicago Kidz.

The details: - Ruckiya Ross and Querida Flores lead Education Couture. - Patricia A. Rogers and Eric Z. Williams lead Kuumba Enterprises. - Ross used speech-language therapy with general education students and diverse learners in Chicago Public Schools before developing the music-based early literacy model. - The Education Couture model uses music and the science of reading for Pre-K through fourth grade students in Chicago. - The model focuses on six components of literacy: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. - The instructional video includes lyrics such as, “Words, Syllables, Sounds, It’s Time To Break Them Down, Every Word Has A Syllable, Every Syllable Has a Vowel Sound…” - Rogers has a degree in counseling psychology and is a licensed professional counselor. - Rogers and Williams co-write songs and stories aimed at children ages 3 to 10. - Their Chicago Kidz Book Series uses rhythm and rhyme to “edutain” students and adults who read with them. - Rogers serves as the primary creative artist behind the multimedia strategies used for the Music Video Book Trailers. - Williams first wrote stories in the nickname series while working as an educator in Chicago Public Schools. - The first title in that series is “The Envy of the Winds: How Chicago Became Known as the Windy City,” which Williams initially co-wrote with his 10-year-old son. - Rogers wrote the lyrics for the song in that music video, which begins, “The Envy of The Winds is about the Windy City, all of the winds competed with envy!” - Rogers is developing additional Chicago Kidz stories about trips to other cities in the U.S. and abroad. - Williams may take the lead on songs for future Music Video Trailers tied to those books. - Education Couture and Kuumba Enterprises have already worked together on literacy and story time events at Chicago bookstores, including Burst Into Books in Roseland and Open Books in Pilsen. - Planned collaborations include residencies at childcare centers and consultations at public and private elementary schools in Chicago. - Education Couture can be reached through Querida Flores at q.flores@educouture.org. - More information about The Chicago Kidz is available at The Chicago Kidz. - Kuumba Enterprises also shared social media links for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

Between the lines: - The partnership blends literacy instruction with entertainment, a strategy designed to increase attention and retention for young learners. - The Chicago-specific storytelling angle may help children connect reading with their own city and community. - The work also reflects a broader effort to use arts-based learning as a response to persistent academic gaps.

What's next: - Education Couture and Kuumba Enterprises plan to expand their joint work through childcare-center residencies and school consultations. - The Chicago Kidz series is expected to grow with new titles and music video trailers. - The partnership says continuing collaboration will be a priority as the Chicago Kidz books expand.

The bottom line: - Chicago educators are betting that music, storytelling and local pride can make early literacy more effective and more appealing for young children.