EP 149 BRENT JOHNSTONE

Brent Johnstone: Fathers Read 365 (FR365)’s mission is to encourage fathers and/or caregivers to read daily with children in a variety of settings to develop literacy from birth. FR365 provides an early intervention method structured to increase the amount of books read and given away to preschoolers through kindergarten and create a culture of literacy. Since 2017, FR365 founders Brent Johnstone and Akeiff Staples have centered their work around four pillars: performing active readings and training parents to do the same at home; distributing free children’s books at events; encouraging family and community engagement; and producing original content to inform communities about the importance of literacy at a young age. Their efforts promote caregiver-child literacy activities, with an emphasis on fathers, as essential contributors to a child’s language, literacy, and cognitive development through holistic training that models active-reading strategies, provides caregivers the opportunity to practice and refine active-reading techniques, and provides families access to age-appropriate and culturally relevant reading materials. FathersRead365 was cofounded by Akeiff Staples and Brent Johnstone in 2017 after their history of work with youth in juvenile detention centers, social services, and schools illuminated a striking inability to function at grade level for reading and literacy. Having first met while attending Temple University and playing football, they decided to join forces in 2017 to focus their efforts at the earliest stages of child development (birth to 5 years old) and create a movement promoting the importance of reading to children daily. This video gives you a taste of what a reading experience is like when For the past five years, FathersRead365 has read to over 7,000 children in Philadelphia across over 300 classrooms, and distributed over 60,000 books. See the Interview Video HERE