CLAY COUNTY — When Clay County fourth-grader Rosie Williams reads aloud, she can hear her own emotional expressions. She always meets new characters, finds mysteries to solve and explores a world with endless possibilities.  

For Rosie, reading is her passion. But, it’s also something she’s had to learn to adapt to. Rosie is one of nearly 600,000 children in the U.S. with blindness or visual impairment.  

While reading is an essential part of visual learning, Rosie explores the world in a different way. Each month, she receives a book from New Worlds Reading, a free statewide literacy program. 

Administered by the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, VPK to fifth grade students reading below grade level receive nine books every school year, along with interactive activities. Books are offered in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Braille.  

Rosie reads Braille, which qualified her for the program. Her mother, Liz Williams, said the program has been a gamechanger. 

“It’s just been wonderful. Braille books are hard to get. They’re expensive, so that makes them hard to get. So, having them come in on a regular basis has been wonderful,” Liz said.  

“Reading is vital for her. So, those books, having a new one all the time is phenomenal. Because you’re not going to go down to your library and have a large access of books.” 

New Worlds Reading, signed into law in 2021, currently has about 1 million Florida students eligible for the program. About 350,000 have been enrolled so far.  

“The purpose of our program is to really build that at-home library for students and to develop a lifelong love of reading,” said Jeanine Davis, Family and Community Engagement Specialist for New Worlds Reading.  

When families apply, the application includes three broad categories, which allows the program to gauge an idea of what that student’s interests may be.

“The goal is to really get students excited about what they’re going to receive,” Davis said.  

Rosie said she enjoys getting a new world to experience each time she feels the patterns on the pages. Her favorite book so far has been “Superfudge” by Judy Blume. It’s about a boy named Peter who navigates the challenges and adventures of life with his mischievous younger brother Fudge. Like the book, Rosie said she has learned how to cope with new things.  

Most of the reading Rosie does is contracted Braille. This short-hand version is used to allow time-efficient reading and writing. Liz said Rosie had to learn contractions from scratch, along with her alphabet and daily spelling. 

Currently, Rosie is reading 200 words a minute. She said the program has helped a lot.  

“I’m improving a lot with my reading.” 

Statewide, Davis said the program has reached achievement goals up to 62%. There have been two major impact areas: frequency and confidence. 

“Families are saying their students are reading more often. And that they are spending more time together as a family, engaging in text and more reading,” Davis said. 

The students have also become more confident, as well as the parents in their ability to help their child. Along with the book, parents also receive a family reading guide that gives them instructions on how they can make reading more engaging.  

Liz said the program has been extremely beneficial for not just Rosie’s progress, but her own.  

“It allows us to support her at home and continue to advocate for her and read with her,” she said.  

Program applications can be found at newworldsreading.com, along with other free resources. If you’re not sure if your student qualifies, Davis said to apply anyway.  

If at some point in the future they become eligible, New Worlds Reading keeps applications on file, and the student will automatically begin receiving resources.  

With New Worlds Reading, reading is a fun way for students to open the world and create their own meaningful stories.