Deb Aronson

By the Book

Separated families unite via the joy of reading

First appeared in Illinois Alumni magazine in February 2008 under Profiles

Tall, slim, and perky, dressed in a turtleneck, tailored pants and sensible shoes, Betty Burch Mohlenbrock ‘62 ED, EDM ‘64, could be a woman who merely lunches with friends, entertains in her home and dotes on her grandchildren.

Except for the grandchildren part, the rest couldn’t be more wrong.

Mohlenbrock is founder and CEO of United Through Reading (UTR), a $1.4 million organization based in San Diego that unites families by encouraging parents to read aloud to their children.

“There is a powerful bond that is established when you read to your child,” she said. “The joy of reading out loud is indescribable - but everyone knows it. We want every child to experience the comfort, connection and joy of being read to.”

Reading together is an activity nearly universal in its appeal, but beyond the cuddly images of children curled up in parents’ laps exists a larger goal: Mohlenbrock is working toward nothing less than a “paradigm shift.” She believes that books can stem the tide of family and social disintegration.

“Our goal is to bring families together,” said Mohlenbrock. “Our vehicle is reading.”

Behind her sunny smile lies the steely determination that enabled Mohlenbrock to take a simple idea and make a difference in the lives of thousands.

The 1961 University of Illinois Homecoming Queen credits her husband, Bill ‘61 LAS, a former Illini varsity basketball player and fellow entrepreneur, for supporting her and sharing her vision, and her parents, who were teachers and believed that reading was central to achievement. In addition, as Mohlenbrock went about establishing her project, she tapped into her Illinois roots, consulting with the Center for the Study of Reading on campus.

Along with her own perseverance and ingenuity, Mohlenbrock has the help and support of her 16-member board of trustees, the UTR staff and an army of volunteers. “One skill I have is bringing good people alongside, getting good advice and following through on it,” she said.

In addition, Mohlenbrock’s religious faith keeps her focused. “This is my ministry, my mission,” she said.

“Research has shown that the single best predictor of success in school is whether a child was read to at home,” said Mohlenbrock, who spent three years teaching elementary school and almost 20 as a private reading tutor. “The second best predictor is if the child sees parents reading.”

In 1989, when she was just getting UTR (then known as the Family Literacy Foundation) established, Mohlenbrock realized how physical separation prevented families - such as those serving in the military - from reading together.

Her solution: Videotape parents on military duty reading books to their children, send the tape or DVD home and enable children to watch their parent read to them - as often as they want - while following along with their own copy of the book. Mohlenbrock points out the benefits - repetition helps learning and brain development, and the UTR reading format helps develop a closer bond between child and parent.

The simple yet powerful project has caught the attention of the media, business and other nonprofits. The UTR program has been featured on the “Oprah” television show, received a non-solicited $200,000 grant from Target and won the 2006 Peter Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. Mohlenbrock has also visited with President George W. Bush; Maria Shriver, the First Lady of California; and the aides of Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Far more important to Mohlenbrock, however, are the tributes from the UTR families.

“My 22-month-old son, Alex, whom I’ve seen only about 4 1/2 months of his entire life, would barely talk to me on the phone when I called home,” wrote Army Maj. Steven Hopper, who was stationed in Iraq. “Now he not only talks to me but also calls me ‘Daddy’ and knows my voice and what I look like. The program has built a ‘bridge’ between this father and his pride and joy.”

Mohlenbrock continues to identify other populations - such as incarcerated parents and grandparents living far from their grandchildren - that might benefit from the UTR program. Already her organization has reached 345,000 children and family members.

Although Mohlenbrock will soon step down from the day-to-day operations of the business, the energetic 67-year-old seems incapable of being “retired.” For one thing, she’ll always be involved on some level with UTR, and for another, she is contemplating writing a book about her experiences. And, no matter what other projects she lines up, Mohlenbrock will most definitely make even more time to sit with her grandchildren, snuggled in her lap, reading books.