Twenty‑five forgotten recordings from the Osmond family’s early years are restored and transformed into a modern literacy resource for young readers.
I realized I wasn’t just holding old tapes,” he said. “I was holding a missing piece of the Osmond legacy — a project created to help children that never had the chance to fulfill its purpose.””— Matthew Glavach, Ph.D.CLOVERDALE CA 95425, CA, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A long‑lost chapter of Osmond history has come to light, and it is now aiding youngsters in their reading journey. The newly launched literacy program, They Sing Into Reading, draws from a forgotten set of twenty‑five children’s tunes performed by Donny and Marie Osmond when they were still teens, at the peak of their weekly television stardom.
Back in the late 1970s, Marie was 18 and Donny just 20 — America’s beloved duo with a nationwide fanbase and a hectic production calendar. Away from the spotlight, their mother, Olive Osmond, urged her children to apply their abilities to benefit others, upholding the family’s longstanding commitment to service and philanthropy. During that era, educator and reading specialist Matthew Glavach, Ph.D. had developed a successful literacy program for older struggling readers built around well‑known songs. Olive wondered whether a comparable approach could be designed for younger children.
Working around the Osmonds’ hectic performance timetable, Glavach composed children’s song lyrics using a controlled reading word list — the same vocabulary present in early storybooks, still essential for beginning reading instruction today. Every word a child sings is also a word that reinforces reading. Donny and Marie recorded twenty‑five original songs, with their brothers contributing to the music, making the project a true family collaboration.
Circumstances prevented the program from reaching the market, and the recordings were quietly set aside.
Decades later, Glavach — founder of StrugglingReaders.com, a reading research company dedicated to helping struggling learners — rediscovered the original cassettes. “I realized I wasn’t just holding old tapes,” he said. “I was holding a missing piece of the Osmond legacy — a project created to help children that never had the chance to fulfill its purpose.”
Glavach rebuilt the entire program using modern reading science, including rhythmic timing activities shown in research to strengthen fluency, processing speed, and phonemic awareness — key skills for dyslexic learners. The result is They Sing Into Reading, a literacy resource that blends rhythm, melody, controlled vocabulary, and fluency practice — all rooted in the original Osmond recordings.
“This began as an act of service from America’s favorite musical family,” Glavach said. “Now, after decades, it can finally do what it was created to do — help children learn to read.”
They Sing Into Reading is now available through StrugglingReaders.com, honoring both the Osmond family’s legacy and the enduring power of music in learning.
About StrugglingReaders.com
StrugglingReaders.com is a reading research and development company founded by Matthew Glavach, Ph.D., specializing in innovative literacy solutions for struggling readers. Its programs have been used by educators, specialists, and families worldwide.
Matthew Glavach
Glavach & Associates, StrugglingReaders.com
+1 707-894-5047
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