Strengthening Connections: How United Through Reading Helps Military Families Thrive

United Through Reading (UTR) is a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening military families’ emotional bonds, literacy, and general well-being through the power of reading. Penney Letrud-Samons, United Through Reading’s Director of Special Programs, discusses how the organization’s free storytime video recordings help deployed servicemembers stay connected to the military children in their lives. But the program isn’t only for deployments - UTR helps encourage reading anytime, anywhere. Penney tells us all about the many literary resources that UTR offers and all the incredible developmental benefits reading offers to our military kids. Penney also announces the 2025 Book for the Military Child!

Show Links:

• United Through Reading

• United Through Reading App

• United Through Reading Resources

• United Through Reading Upcoming Events

Show Takeaways:

• Every year more than 100,000 military parents deploy leaving nearly 250,000 military children at home. UTR gives military families a way to connect despite the distance they may face through deployment.

• UTR also benefits servicemembers by allowing them to maintain close emotional bonds with their families at home.

• UTR’s storytime recordings videos can be viewed on-demand and have many developmental benefits for the military child. For every storytime recording a servicemember makes, they receive a free copy of that book. Servicemembers can make unlimited recordings that are reliable, repeatable, and accessible anytime for the military children in their lives.

• UTR’s other resources include reading trackers, literacy guides for all ages, read aloud tips, and a podcast.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram