Retired teacher Kathleen Alfke-Simpson created a free program called Reading Boot Camp to help children aged 3 to 17 learn to read, write in cursive, and get help with math problems.

After previous years of low literacy rates, San Joaquin County is actively making changes to improve student reading scores.

In Raymond Elementary School’s pre-kindergarten classroom, boys and girls huddled together on a rug with their teacher to learn a foundational skill for reading and spelling: how to pull apart and put ...