Unlocking Literacy for
Every Child Who Struggles to Read
A Letter from Our Founder
Dear Friend and Potential Partner,
Every day in Northeast Arkansas, bright and capable children sit in classrooms feeling like they are not “smart enough” when the truth is simply that their brains are wired to read differently. One in five people have dyslexia. Without the right intervention, these children fall further behind each year, often carrying the weight of shame, frustration, and lost confidence into adulthood.
For nearly three decades, The APPLE Group has walked alongside these families, providing evidence-based, structured literacy therapy that changes lives. We have seen children who could barely write their names grow into confident readers, strong students, and proud graduates. We have watched parents cry tears of relief when their child finally says, “I can do this.”
The challenge we face is simple: the families who need our help most often cannot afford the specialized, one-on-one therapy their children require. That is where your business can make an extraordinary difference.
This proposal invites you to become a local partner in literacy, to help us close the gap between the families who need our services and those who can access them. Your support does not just fund therapy. It restores hope, rebuilds confidence, and shapes the future of a child in our community.
With deep gratitude,
Mary-Margaret Scholtens
Founder & Executive Director
The APPLE Group, Inc.
Who We Are
The APPLE Group, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and based in Jonesboro, Arkansas. We are one of only a small number of organizations nationwide to hold the International Dyslexia Association’s Accredited Plus designation, the highest standard of excellence in structured literacy education.
Our mission is to identify, teach, and empower children and adults with dyslexia and other reading differences through evidence-based, Orton-Gillingham instruction rooted in the science of reading. We do this work through four interconnected areas:
Direct dyslexia therapy for children and adults, provided in person and virtually.
Diagnostic screening to identify students at risk for dyslexia and related language-based learning differences.
Educator training through our nationally respected Certified Dyslexia Therapist (CDT) program.
Curriculum development and publication, including the Connections: OG in 3D® structured literacy program used across the United States.
Our work has been recognized at the national level, including a National Right to Read Teacher of the Year award, and through our founder’s advisory roles with the Evidence Based Reading Instruction (EBRI) Advisory Team and the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction.
1 in 5 children have dyslexia
29 yrs serving NE Arkansas since 1997
IDA Plus Accredited — highest standard
One in every five children has dyslexia.
Right now in Northeast Arkansas, bright kids are struggling to read, not because they lack ability, but because they learn differently. The APPLE Group, Inc. has served these children and their families since 1997 with evidence-based, structured literacy therapy at just $65 per hour, but many families still cannot afford the full cost of ongoing one-on-one instruction.
Why This Matters in Our Community
Arkansas consistently ranks near the bottom in national reading outcomes, and Northeast Arkansas families often have fewer resources than those in larger metropolitan areas. The need is not abstract, it is sitting in local classrooms, living rooms, and kitchen tables every day.
Consider the following realities:
Roughly 20% of the population has dyslexia. That is one in every five children in our local schools.
Students with untreated dyslexia are significantly more likely to drop out of school, experience mental health challenges, and struggle with employment as adults.
Private, specialized dyslexia therapy is a long-term, one-on-one commitment. Even at our accessible rate of $65 per hour, a full school year of weekly therapy represents a significant expense that is out of reach for many working families.
Early, intensive intervention is the most powerful and cost-effective solution we have. The earlier a child receives proper therapy, the better the lifetime outcome.
When a local business sponsors dyslexia therapy through The APPLE Group, that investment does not just help one child learn to read. It ripples outward, strengthening families, lifting classrooms, and building a stronger, more literate workforce for Northeast Arkansas.
SPONSOR LITERACY. CHANGE A LIFE.
