Nurture Your Students' Reading Potential
Expanding Opportunities for Literacy Development for All Learners
Where Reading is Fun, and Learning Lasts a Lifetime!
Research-Based Structured Literacy
Consistent with
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Science of Reading
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Structured Literacy
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What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)
Backed by
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An Experienced Team of Literacy Experts
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Classroom Teachers
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Two Federally Funded Research Grants
Featured Products
Featured!
Curriculum Kits
Purchase the complete curriculum! Ideal for classrooms and interventions; get all 14 levels or choose a program stage based on placement test results.
Digital Plans
Our affordable annual plans for eMembership are perfect for parents or schools with limited budgets.
Curriculum Components
Purchase curriculum components separately to supplement your eMembership or purchase additional books, games, or flashcards to serve more students.
Who Benefits from Friends on the Block?
The Friends on the Block reading program uses best practices from the most effective instruction and intervention models, coupled with our innovative teaching materials and techniques, to reach ALL learners, no matter the challenge.
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Intellectual disability
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Developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder
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Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia
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Executive functioning disorders, such as ADHD
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English language learners
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All beginning readers
Our Structured Literacy Intervention Works
Research-Based
Implement the Friends on the Block literacy program with confidence, knowing it was developed by a team of experts and is in alignment with the Science of Reading. Friends on the Block applies decades of research, making the program inclusive, effective, and easy to use.
Evidence-Based
Friends on the Block (FOTB) has been evaluated through multiple federally funded research studies involving students with intensive literacy needs. Across two randomized controlled trials involving 132 students, those receiving FOTB consistently demonstrated stronger reading outcomes than students receiving business-as-usual instruction. In the first study, FOTB students demonstrated statistically significant advantages over comparison students in word recognition, phonics, reading fluency, comprehension, and other literacy skills, while the second study replicated the overall pattern of positive findings.
Innovative
Friends on the Block includes unique features designed to make the program accessible, effective, and fun. Our decodable books are the heart of the program, integrating Helper Text read by the teacher and extensive cumulative review. Other design features include a straightforward 3-part lesson structure, built-in scaffolding, detailed teacher guidance, and learning games.
Customizable
Our unique organization supports teachers in easily customizing lessons based on student performance data. Use our free placement test to determine which stage to start in. Our tracking forms support ongoing data collection, with clear guidelines and recommendations for how quickly to move through the program and how to easily customize individual lessons based on student needs.
Our Goal
Offer effective, fun, and friendly instructional resources to help all students—including those with disabilities—read fluently with comprehension.
New Friends You'll Get to Know
See Why Your Neighbors Use Friends on the Block for Evidence-Based Reading Instruction.
The repetition of words, decodable text, and follow up games are very helpful. I especially like the phonemic awareness activities at the beginning of each lesson, because so many students lack this. The students who use the program either have reading disabilities, language impairments, or attention/behavioral needs.
My students have made so much progress just since school started in August! Some of my students would have meltdowns when it came time for reading groups. Now, those same children get excited for reading time every day.
I’ve been blown away by how well my student has responded to this program. I love how quickly Friends on the Block jumps right into meaningful text that my student can relate to. She is so engaged during our reading time now – I’m seeing really promising growth in such a short time.
My son has ADHD, autism, and an intellectual disability. Finding a solid reading program that worked without becoming too hard has been very difficult… Our music therapist read some research articles about the success of Friends on the Block with kiddos who have special needs, so we decided to give it a try. OH MY GOSH! It has been wonderful!! My son LOVES it so much. The books are cute, he loves doing the activities at the end of each lesson with me and he's been learning a lot more sight words which was exactly what he needed. We are going to keep using this until he finishes the very last level.
My daughter with Down syndrome is holding her own in a public school general education second-grade classroom (no academic/resource support) largely due to her reading ability that started with learning to read using Friends on the Block starting before her 3rd birthday. She was one of the top readers entering kindergarten. She loves to read! Thank you, Friends on the Block!!!
BJ shows so much enthusiasm for Friends on the Block. He is now sounding out words, when, in the past, he wouldn’t.
BJ has the ability to connect to each book that is presented to him. He enjoys talking about the characters and he remembers their names. He enjoys each and every game that he plays. I am so proud to say I am a part of this reading program. I can actually say, 'I teach children how to read!' with this program.