How do courageous individuals use reading to make the world we dream about?
- Amanda Wagner
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
That is the guiding question for LitWorld, a SEED Impact client partnering with community-based, mostly women-led organizations in more than 30 countries to build sustainable, child-centered literacy ecosystems.
LitWorld’s founder, Pam Allyn, knew that the answer had to start with the individual child. She also knew that literacy is the foundation and socio-emotional learning (SEL) would be the catalyst. So she and her colleague Ernest Morrell1 developed the 7 Strengths Framework that represent essential capacities that empower young people to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally:
The 7 Strengths:
Pam and Ernest put it best when describing why an SEL-infused approach is key:
“Unless I see myself as having value, I cannot see the task you are giving me as valuable. It’s not about lacking skills in reading, it’s about [not] seeing myself as a reader.” - Ernest Morrell in Why Use the & Strengths Model
Pam and Ernest developed multiple tools and tips for Every Child a Super Reader, to equip us, as educators and families, to 1) connect with individual readers and 2) build a community of readers.
Putting it into Practice:
LitWorld embedded the 7 Strengths Framework into all of their programming and SEED Impact had the honor to partner with the LitWorld staff to tackle the essential question of how to know if we are moving the needle on these big, and important goals. We customized three SEED Competency Ladders™ that measure, credibly report, and accelerate major shifts in personal growth. The ladders relate to the three SEL domains of being (identify), doing (skills) and relating (community-formation).
Here is a snapshot from LitWorld’s results, documented in their 2025 Impact Report.
The data above came specifically from LitWorld’s Ready For Reading’s LitClubs in Rwanda, their findings align with and illustrate the growth consistent with LitWorld’s multi‑generational, community‑based model. This is how we measure across each of the 7 strengths.
Importantly this is what this actually means for children:
They see themselves as capable learners and leaders.
They communicate more effectively with peers and mentors.
They show greater resilience inside and outside the classroom.
They develop confidence to speak, write, advocate, and create change.
Continuing the Conversation
If this has piqued your curiosity, check out the practical information in Every Child a Super Reader or read more in LitWorld’s Impact Report. We invite you to share any of your own tips or experiences with cultivating the 7 Strengths in your everyday.
And if you’d like more information about bringing LitWorld to your community, please visit https://www.litworld.org/contact
References and Resources
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1 Ernest Morell passed away on February 26,2026. We hold him and his family and community in our hearts, and are forever grateful for the gifts he gave to educators, learners, and fellow humans alike. You can read more about Ernest in this memoriam from the National Academy of Education.
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