Masons of California, Raising a Reader and WUSD Expand Programs to Improve Afghan Refugee Student Literacy

10.06.2024

With the generous support of the Masons of California, we’ve developed our first-ever collection of bilingual books in both English and Farsi to serve families in Washington Unified School District in
West Sacramento. This expansion reaffirms our commitment to ensuring every child feels seen and valued. Over the past 13 years, with the Masons’ continued support, we’ve reached more than 920 classrooms statewide, and Washington Unified is the latest addition to our growing impact.

Raising a Reader CEO, Michelle Torgerson, shares more in this interview with CapRadio. You can also watch this clip from ABC News and, click the image below to read the full article from the West Sacramento – News Ledger.

02.10.2025 News

The Crisis in Children’s Reading: How We Can Reverse the Decline

By Michelle Torgerson, CEO of Raising a Reader The latest national assessment of educational progress results reveal a sobering reality: American children’s reading skills have reached new lows with little sign of post pandemic recovery. As reported in The New York Times, 40% of 4th graders and 33% of 8th graders now perform at a below basic level in reading and ...

Announcement

The Power of Family Connections: Helping Children Thrive Through Shared Reading

At Raising a Reader, we know that families play a crucial role in a child’s early learning journey. Research consistently shows that strong family connections—especially through shared reading—can boost a child’s confidence, school readiness, and love of learning. Why Family Connections Matter Studies show that when families feel confident and engaged in their child’s educational journey, children are more likely ...