Who can better understand a solution for kid’s learning disabilities than the kid himself who has faced the similar struggles. Jacob experienced difficulties reading during early school days because of his undiagnosed dyslexia. Jacob’s experiences sparked a wish within himself of making a difference for every kid who struggles with reading. Jacob’s thoughtful idea was welcomed with enthusiasm by his sibling Alana and Rueben. The combination of their energies and teamwork gave birth to a brilliant and innovative project and website - KidsRead2Kids, an online platform which provides the benefits and access to classis novels without the struggles of reading. Free videos of kids reading aloud abridged versions of great classic novels are provided to viewers in over 50 countries. KidsRead2Kids has been recognized for their work by organizations like International Dyslexia Association and University of Michigan Help Desk for Dyslexia. They have been awarded the point of Light volunteer award and a Disney Inspired YSA grant. We want to congratulate Jacob, Alana and Reuben for their generosity and dedication for helping kids throughout the world.

How did you get the idea to start kidsread2kids? Can you tell us how you have distributed the kidsread2kids tasks amongst yourself? : J: When I was younger, I struggled to read. It wasn’t until fifth grade that I was diagnosed with dyslexia. At the time, I thought my differences made me stupid. Because of what I went through, I wanted to make a difference for children everywhere who feel different or have struggles, and show them that they are not alone.
A: We all have different strengths, so we work together really well. Along with being one of the readers, I manage all of our volunteers, write the copy for the website, write our blog, and help on the business end.
J: I run the technology side of our website by editing, filming, and posting our videos, along with helping to create and manage the website in itself.
R: I drew the logo!
A: Reuben is our artist.
J: Even though we all have our specialties, we all work together and it’s very much a team effort on everything we do.
A: We’re always throwing around new ideas of what we think could work for our website, and we’re generally a very open-minded team. KidsRead2Kids is all about embracing differences, so our work ethic really plays to that.

What kind of challenges did you face when you started this website? How did you inform, educate and involve people with your work? : A: Well, starting from fresh is always a daunting process. We really dove in head first with no previous business experience… I mean, we’re just kids! Getting started was definitely the hardest part.
J: It was hard figuring out what to do first. Because we’ve never done this before, it started out as just a dream. And, in order to make it a reality, we had to figure out ourselves where to go from our idea. And because we had no prior knowledge in this business, it took a lot of brainstorming and work for us to get going.
A: It was a lot of testing the waters and seeing like, “Does this work? Will this be relatable to our audience?” But, in the end, we just had to trust our gut instincts and go with what we’ve learned from our own personal experiences, and hope that it made a difference to someone.
A: We used social media to branch out to other organizations all over the world. Through Facebook, we have made connections with organizations like the International Dyslexia Association, that have helped spread our cause. It’s all about changing how people see education.
J: We are re-educating the world on what education should be.
A: Because, listening is another form of reading. And reading gives you so many important skills that are not taught in school, like active listening.
J: We like to include everyone. And that’s why we encourage not only people with learning disabilities, but anyone who would like to hear our stories.
A:  We’ve found that there are a variety of groups that are listening. Ranging from adults who missed out on classic novels as kids to children staying in hospitals to children who want to hear a story before bed.
J: To involve others in our cause, we looked for people like us, who have pushed through their struggles and succeeded. We wanted to give our audience a group that they could look up to and feel comfortable with.
A: We reached out to people in the theater community in our high school so that we had animated, entertaining videos. In addition, our volunteers represent all different backgrounds, so that any child anywhere can find someone they relate to.

How do you usually balance your school work and kidsread2kids? What do you love the most about kidsread2kids? : A: Well, it’s not easy. There’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining our site and keeping up with schoolwork and extracurriculars.
J: But, that’s the nice thing about having a team. When one of us is caught up in school, someone else is always ready to step up and take more responsibility.
A: Just thinking that our website is making a difference to people is enough of a motivator to buckle down and get things done.
J: I love the fact that we are able to make a difference in someone’s life. To me, that makes everything we’ve done worth it.
A: I love bringing back the joy to an activity viewed as difficult or stressful. We are showing these kids that there are alternative ways to learn and that being different does not make you weak; being different makes you special.

How do your parents support you in this effort? What is something about kidsread2kids that the whole family gets to do together? : J: Our mom is a big support. We wouldn’t be where we are today without her.
A: She’s always bringing in new ideas and reaching out to new people. Our parents are the only ones of us who had real business experience going into this, so we definitely look to them for help and guidance.
A: We all like to choose which story to do next as a family so we can get multiple perspectives. We have such a big family that there is a variety of people representing different age groups, so that is very helpful.
J: I like to view KidsRead2Kids as a family affair. It’s all about bringing the whole family together, not only in our house, but in homes all over the world.

What kind of challenges do/did you face in schools? Do you have any tips for the kids who are facing similar challenges? : J: Being dyslexic, it has always been difficult for me to succeed in school. I’ve had to work harder than most people to get the same grades, and that was hard to look past for a while. But, it has shown me the true power of perseverance and has made me the determined, creative, and understanding person I am today.
R: I find it hard to pay attention and not get distracted by simple things that occur around the classroom. My ADHD makes it hard to get through the school day.
A: With my anxiety, sometimes it feels like everything is just too much, and it can be hard to get past that and finish what needs to get done. But, it’s taught me to always keep going, no matter how I’m feeling at the moment and to never put a limit to what I am capable of.
A: Believe in yourself and don’t ever think there are limits to what you can do. Things might get tough and it may seem like the end of the world at some points, but they will get better. You have to always have hope and know that you will grow and become a much stronger person from all of your experiences.
J: Don’t ever think that your differences make you less than someone else. Embracing your differences is what makes you powerful. It is our differences that allow us to change the world.
R: Every day, during my free time, I do an activity that doesn’t take brainpower, like watching TV or building Legos. It clears my mind and helps me cool down a bit.
A: Taking a second to just breathe is nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, it helps to set timed breaks in between assignments to give your brain time to rest and reboot.

What are your hobbies? : J: I love to do many different things. I write music, play guitar, dance, play Corny Collins in Hairspray, and am working on an app development course.
A: I cheerlead, sing, act, write, play the harp, am learning guitar, and am currently playing Penny Pingleton in my high school’s production of Hairspray.
R: I like to draw, build Legos, code, dance, play drums, and just played Grimsby in The Little Mermaid Jr. at my school.

What do you enjoy doing together as a family? : A: We’re all really busy, so when we can be together all at once, we like to just hang out with each other.
J: Whether that means playing board games or watching movies, it all just depends on what everyone’s feeling that day.

What you want to be when you grow up? : R: I want to be an animator. I want to bring my characters to life on the big screen.
J: I honestly have no idea. But, whatever it is will be something I’m passionate about.
A: There is so much I want to do in this world! I would love to be a writer, an actress, or a lawyer. Whatever I do, I want to continue to bring change and make a difference. All of my dreams revolve around being an impactful figure in society, no matter where I end up. I want to be a good role model for kids; someone that they could look up to. That’s the dream!

Any special message for our community? : A: Every day, differences among others are becoming more and more accepted. But, there is still work to be done, and there will continue to be work until every single person, no matter who they are, feels accepted in this world. We need to be doing everything we can to spread love and the message that our differences make us powerful, beautiful, and strong.