Affiliate Spotlight: Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School
How One School Strengthened Family Engagement—and Literacy Skills—with Raising a Reader
At Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School in Newark, New Jersey, family engagement and literacy are at the heart of student success. Serving a diverse community, the school sought a proven, turnkey program that would strengthen reading at home while supporting classroom learning.
They chose Raising a Reader to help every family become an active part of their child’s reading journey.
“Raising a Reader aligns perfectly with our mission to promote reading at home and encourage a love for books,” the team shared. “It engages families, supports language development, and enhances learning both inside and outside the classroom.”
The Results They’re Working Toward
By integrating Raising a Reader, the school is:
- Building literacy confidence and reading joy in every student.
- Engaging parents and caregivers through simple, ready-to-use family activities.
- Strengthening home–school connections with tools teachers can easily integrate.
- Celebrating stories that reflect students’ lives and broaden their perspectives.
“The program reinforces our mission to build strong partnerships with families and support every child’s educational journey.”
Why It Works
Raising a Reader’s proven model makes it easy for schools and early learning programs to:
- Implement quickly with turnkey materials, training, and ongoing support.
- Fits within existing literacy plans – Seamlessly integrates into the goals and frameworks partners already use to strengthen reading outcomes for children.
- Flexible for any community – The program can be tailored to fit each organization’s schedule, structure, and community needs.
- Proven and trusted – Many partners come to Raising a Reader because they’ve heard strong recommendations—or experienced firsthand—the positive parent feedback and visible results.
“Raising a Reader cultivates a love for reading by actively involving families in their children’s literacy development—creating lasting, positive impacts on both academic achievement and family engagement.”
Interested in bringing Raising a Reader to your school or organization?
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