FRED is a free program designed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to strengthen family bonds and improve literacy by encouraging families to focus specifically on time spent reading together as a family. Although the number of books or pages read are recorded, the primary focus is the time spent together. Reading time can happen in a variety of ways: parents reading to children; children reading to parents; siblings reading to each other with parents nearby; extended family reading with children in person or via video chat; watching together a story read online. Participating in FRED is free. Community groups and organizations (libraries, schools, churches, and others) can set up a group event to encourage families to participate in FRED at the same time as a part of coordinated effort that contributes toward their mission and goals. FRED, and FRED groups, can happen at any time. Local county Extension agents are available to assist in planning and implementation.

Yes, Families Reading Every Day (FRED) does offer a mobile phone app that allows participants to quickly access their FRED Dashboard and enter reading logs on their mobile device within seconds.

Please follow these instructions based on the type of device you own:

For iPhones

1. Open the website Open the website https://fch.tamu.edu/fred/dashboard
2. Click the 'Share' icon at the bottom which is the "box with an arrow pointing up"
3. Scroll the icon options and tap 'Add to Home Screen'
4. Click the 'Add' button in the top right corner
5. Tap the WAT! app on the home screen to access the WAT Dashboard and enter mileage

For Android

1. Open the website https://fch.tamu.edu/fred/dashboard
2. Click the 3 dot icon in the top right corner
3. Select the option 'Add to Home Screen'
4. Tap the WAT! app on the home screen to access the WAT Dashboard and enter mileage

For Samsung

1. Open the website https://howdyhealth.org/programs/wat
2. Click the 3 line "hamburger menu" at the bottom right corner
3. Select the option '+ Add page to'
4. Select "Home screen"
5. Tap the WAT! app on the home screen to access the WAT Dashboard and enter mileage

There are no age limits! Children of any age can benefit from spending time reading together with adults. To participate in a FRED project all you need is a least one adult who is willing to spend time reading with at least one child every day for 4 weeks.

Once you register for the program, you will have access to additional resource including the FRED Family Guide under the 'Resources' section. There are also links to other resources that can enhance your experience.

The FRED program is a way to really focus on and track the time you spend reading. Having a way to record the time can be a motivation for those times when the habit may be slipping or just a great way to reinforce and celebrate what you are already doing. The FRED Family Guide offers lots of great information. You can also add a special emphasis with the FRED reading project: like Fathers Reading Every Day where you let dad (or father figures) take the lead, or Healthy Living Every Day where you focus on developing healthy habits along with your reading.

Local libraries are a great option. But if you don’t have easy access to a library think about other options. Some communities have little free libraries with a place for people to leave a book and take a book. Also, with online access, you can find websites with celebrities, astronauts, and others reading books. Spending time together, while watching the readings counts as time reading together. (You can find suggestions in the FRED Family Guide and on the Resources page.)

The FRED program has been a part of Texas A&M Extension for over 20 years. Originally the primary emphasis was on involvement of fathers and father figures because of the significant benefits of having dads involved. But, having the whole family get involved is also beneficial.

Nope! Any adult can read with the child! In fact, it’s fun to get other family members involved. Think about calling a relative and asking them to read through a video chat. How many different ways can you think of to read?

The FRED program is a way to really focus on and track the time you spend reading. Having a way to record the time can be a motivation for those times when the habit may be slipping or just a great way to reinforce and celebrate what you are already doing. The FRED Family Guide offers lots of great information. You can also add a special emphasis with the FRED reading project: like Fathers Reading Every Day where you let dad (or father figures) take the lead, or Healthy Living Every Day where you focus on developing healthy habits along with your reading.

Absolutely! The benefits of reading together are huge. Repeated participation just reinforces those benefits. If you want to add some variety, you can focus on Fathers Reading Every Day or Healthy Living Every Day.

Once the child's session ends, just return to their profile and click the 'New Session' button next to their name.  Please note that a wrap-up survey must be submitted before an option to start a new session is available.  Click the wrap-up button next to the child's profile to submit the wrap-up survey and closeout the current session.

No. You can start your FRED project at any time. However, some Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County programs will conduct local FRED projects at a specific time when they encourage families in their area to participate within a certain time frame. Contact your local Extension office to find out what is happening in your area.

You can enter a reading log for any day of an active session that falls within the 4 week period. Adding reading logs for future dates is not allowed but retroactively entering a reading log for past dates within the 4-week session period is. You have 10 days after the session end date to enter all reading logs before the system automatically closes out the active session. Submitting a wrap-up survey also closes out a session so be sure to enter all your reading logs before submitting the wrap-up survey.

In order to create a new session for a child, a profile must exist for that child under the Child Profile section.  Once the profile is created, click the 'Create New' button next to the child's name to begin a 4-week session. A child may only participate in one active session at a time.  If you would like for the child to begin a new session within 10 days after completing a 4-week session, please submit a wrap-up survey from the child profile section and you will then have the option to create a new session.

The best prize is the intrinsic rewards that come along with spending positive time developing literacy skills. When you sign up and enter information into the reading logs, you will have access to “progress cards” that will show you the totals for each child. Once you complete the 4 weeks and the evaluation survey, you can generate a certificate of completion on the site. Some Texas A&M AgriLife Extension County programs will conduct local FRED projects an offer prizes and incentives for participation.

The main purpose of FRED is to encourage families to spend time reading together. It is 4-week project with the goal of reading for 15 minute a day for the first two weeks, then 30 minute a day for the next 2 weeks. For most families this alone is ideal. However, some families may want to add a special focus to their reading time. A “Fathers Reading Every Day” focus would mean dad, or a father figure, is taking the lead reading with the child(ren) and may include some special dad activities and reading books about dads. Healthy Living Every Day means a family will work on making healthy choices along with reading and may include eating healthier snacks and reading books about food and play. Some local county or community programs may suggest a focus on special area too. But, basically, the choice is up to you!