New Mexico is expanding its free Summer Reading Program this year, aiming to reach up to 15,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The initiative follows the success of last summer’s pilot, which saw over 9,000 participants improve their reading skills by nearly 5 percentage points on average.
The program offers four weeks of structured literacy instruction, grounded in the science of reading—a method that emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students work in small groups with trained instructors, maintaining a 4-to-1 student-teacher ratio. This year’s sessions will run from June 2 to June 27, 2025, across more than 100 sites statewide.
Public Education Secretary Marianna Padilla highlighted the urgency of addressing literacy challenges, noting that only 39% of elementary and middle school students in New Mexico are proficient readers. She emphasized that while change won’t happen overnight, consistent efforts like the Summer Reading Program are steps toward improvement.
The program is free for all New Mexico families, funded by a $30 million allocation from the state legislature. Instructors, who may be current or retired educators or pre-service teachers, receive $35 per hour and undergo specialized training before the program begins.
Parents can register their children and find more information at literacy.nm.gov. The deadline for student registration is May 20, 2025.
This expansion reflects New Mexico’s commitment to improving literacy rates and ensuring that students have the foundational skills necessary for academic success.