H.E.L.P. (Hip-Hop Educational Literacy Program), is a supplemental reading program designed to address the needs of deficient readers and increase the literacy skills of students particularly between the ages of 13 -18. All research-based lessons align to standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association. The program includes innovative activities that blend the five core literacy program elements identified by the National Reading Panel in 2000: phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Developed by a team of educators and literacy specialists, the workbooks address the range of reading proficiencies that can exist in a single classroom. Each book is divided into four "studios," each studio targeting a different reading level. The result: an entire class can use the same text. Each teacher guide contains a biography of the cover hip-hop artist, the lyrics of a song, a glossary of vocabulary words and a scope and sequence for the sixty activities located in the student guide. The teacher guides also include supplemental activities based on the Multiple Intelligences, writing rubrics and answer keys for each "studio."

H.E.L.P. has been adopted by schools in D.C., New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Individual teachers may also purchase these materials directly. The H.E.L.P. curriculum is available by subscription for one month, five months and 10 months.

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