Congratulations! Your district just got Montana Reads Grant funding. 

We’ll start at the beginning: if you’re a school in Montana that hasn’t received Montana Reads Grant funding, then this article’s still for you. We can see you inching toward that back button—stop it. Stop it. In fact, it’s for any teacher, principal or superintendent in any school or district anywhere in the US who’s looking for a cash-smart, effective way of boosting literacy grades across the board—just skip to the section titled So here’s how reading pens maximize your students’ reading potential.  

…But it remains that Montana Reads Grant recipient districts are likely to be in a position where your literacy fund has just received a rapid, likely much-needed health boost, and you… may be feeling a little staggered by depth and breadth of literacy intervention strategies on offer.  

We’re here to de-mystify, bring out some evidence-based strategy for your consideration, and help you cut through the marketing to find real student solutions. ⬇️ 

“The Montana Reads Grant is a powerful investment in our students and educators, ensuring that evidence-based literacy instruction reaches every corner of our state. By equipping teachers with the best resources, professional development, and ongoing support, we are building a foundation for lifelong learning and success. We commend the awarded districts for their commitment to literacy and look forward to the impact this initiative will have on Montana’s classrooms.” 

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Susie Hedalen 

The Montana Reads Grant comes in at a critical moment  

Montana’s overall literacy proficiency is nowhere near the worst in the US. It’s a strong mid-table contender—but still, those figures aren’t where we’d like them to be. There are schools out there doing incredible work in raising literacy rates, and individual districts that by far exceed the national average, but when we look at statewide stats, it remains that Montana’s reading proficiency stats are causing a little concern. 

📚 In 2024, Montana’s average literacy score was 217, and a staggering 64% of students are assessed as not being proficient in reading. That’s actually lower than many states we readily associate with lower than average literacy figures, such as Kentucky, Mississippi and Florida. 

…But there’s no sense of inevitable slide, and educators, literacy advocates and policymakers statewide are fighting for literacy. Some statewide initiatives are making positive inroads, such as the Early Literacy Targeted Intervention Act (HB 352, 2023). This legislation provides funding for schools to implement a range of interventions—including classroom-based, home-based, and summer "jumpstart" programs—for children identified as at risk of not meeting literacy standards by third grade. And a 15-member Early Literacy Advisory Council (ELAC) has also been established, bringing together educators, administrators and literacy advocates to guide the rollout of new early literacy programs and drafting implementation rules, as well as developing frameworks for evaluation, summer jumpstart programs, and home-based interventions. 

There’s also a new growth of community-based literacy movement: the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is developing a presence in the state, and a continuous improvement in education research project is in practice between Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI)and SRI International, a global leader in R&D with its roots in Silicon Valley, working with select schools to design and implement quick-turnaround, tiered literacy interventions. 

All told, it’s a big moment for literacy in the state—and here’s how you can make the most of it.  

Understanding Montana Reads Grant funding  

This year, Montana was awarded the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant: it’s a competitive federal grant program applied for by state-level agencies and authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Its purpose is to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy, reading and writing, for children from birth through to the end of K-12. There’s a strong emphasis on using this funding block to serve disadvantaged learners, such as those living below the poverty line, English learners, and those with disabilities. 

The Montana Reads Grant is the state’s branded implementation of this federally funded grant. The Montana Office of Public Instruction administers the Montana Reads Grant, and eligible districts (based on reading and writing proficiency levels and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students) submit a subgrant application and evidence-based plan to the OPI to be considered for a share of the funding. 

Alright, but what can we use it for? 

Montana Reads Grant goals are thus:  

📚 Build the capacity of districts serving the highest percentage of disadvantaged students to accelerate their literacy outcomes. 

📚 Increase the number of disadvantaged students who have access to effective educators prepared to implement and sustain scientifically based reading instruction. 

📚 Strengthen systems to provide and implement high-quality evidence-based literacy instruction.  

And schools and districts can use Montana Reads Grant funds for:  

📚 High-quality, evidence-based instructional materials. 

📚 Professional development aligned to grant goals, including instructional leadership and the science of reading. 

📚 Instructional coaching 

So here’s how a reading pen like C-Pen Reader 3 can maximize your students’ reading potential!

C-Penare the creators of the original reading pen, and have been supporting the world’s struggling readers with award-winning text-to-speech technology for almost thirty years. 

And C-Pen Reader 3 is a case of teachers asked, C-Pen listened. It’s been developed alongside feedback from educators and edtech leaders about what post-pandemic teaching really needs, and packed with as much learning support as possible inside the simplest and most accessible methodology. It’s still designed on the principles of easy, accessible implementation that made teachers love the C-Pen Reader 2, but C-Pen Reader 3 offers a more advanced suite of tools that cultivate stronger reading skills and faster progress. 

Think simple, easily accessible, but crammed with even more functionality and ways to customize a uniquely supportive reading experience. Let’s check it out! ⬇️ 

✅Reach for reading independence 

Watch reading and confidence soar as students tackle texts independently with the support of Reader 3’s clear text-to-speech voice. 

✅Instant dictionary definitions 

Expand student vocabularies and boost understanding by checking any word’s definition with built-in dictionaries. 

✅Save text and audio 

Students can save everything scanned, and record voice notes for revision in C-Pen Reader 3’s internal memory. 

✅Practice to perfection 

Improve confidence and gamify literacy skill growth with word exercises, spelling assistance, pronunciation practice, and more! 

✅Read in other languages 

Scan offline for reading and pronunciation support, read in 5 embedded languages, or connect online for translation support in 40+ more! 

✅Navigate with ease  

C-Pen Reader 3’s app-based, touchscreen menu makes it as easy to navigate as a smartphone or tablet, even for young learners or those with limited English proficiency. 

✅Read wherever, whenever 

One charge means enough power for an uninterrupted day of scanning, and learners can benefit from Wi-Fi-free text-to-speech support wherever the need to read arises. 

The stakes are high for a reading rescue, and on this scale, we know that educators don’t have the extra time or bandwidth to support each and every learner at their point of need. That’s what makes C-Pen Reader 3 so special: it gives learners a tool—or even a toolbox—full of supports that they can use to rescue themselves, and develop the confidence to read independently and unlock the whole curriculum. 

Supporting students with SpLD and English Language Learners (ELLs) 

Students with learning differences like dyslexia and those who are learning English often need extra support to keep up with grade-level reading. That’s where reading pens really shine, and it’s one of the places you can use your Montana Reads Grant funding to its greatest effect. 

For students with SpLDs, they take the pressure off decoding and give them space to focus on what the text is saying—without needing to ask for help all the time. And for ELLs, hearing unfamiliar words out loud while following along in print helps build confidence and language skills faster. 

It's all about offering students behind a literacy barrier the independence to overcome it, a real sense of reading ownership, and a way to keep pace with their peers in a way that feels discreet… because nobody likes feeling spotlighted. When that support is as simple as scan, listen, understand and achieve, students begin to engage more consistently, that’s where you’ll start seeing real reading progress for your students with SpLD and your English Language Learners. 

Revolutionize your K-12 frameworks with the power of assistive tech! 

And when embedded thoughtfully into literacy intervention frameworks, reading pens step up, transforming from helpful tools to foundational school supports.  

Educators can amplify their impact by aligning usage with existing RTI models, small group instruction plans, and individualized accommodations under IEPs. They’re also especially effective when integrated into differentiated reading stations, tiered support schedules, and progress-monitoring protocols.  

The real win? Students no longer just access content, they engage with it independently, consistently, and they can build those skills ready to tackle the next grade at the right level. 

Make your Montana Reads Grant funding do something amazing this semester 

The beauty of big-block grant funding like the Montana Reads Grant is the sheer number of students whose lives it can impact for the better through the power of literacy. And we’re here to help. 

You can find out more aboutC-Pen Reader 3 at its home at Scanning Pens. 

Or claim your FREE educator trial today! 

And we’re chatty guys. If you want to speak to one of our reading support experts about supporting the reading needs in your district, school or classroom, we’re always happy to explore in-depth solutions for making your Montana Reads Grant funding go as far as your learners need it to. 

📧 Drop us a line: usinfo@scanningpens.com 

☎️ Give us a call: +1 727 316 8101