One of the most common questions schools ask is, “How do we fund Raising a Reader?” The good news: many schools use existing federal, state, and local funds already designated for literacy and family engagement. Federal Funding Opportunities Title I, Part A (ESSA)Many schools use Title I funds to support family engagement, supplemental literacy materials, and evidence-based programs—all of which align with Raising a ...
At Valleywise Health, caring for families means looking beyond clinical care to what truly supports lifelong health. As Arizona’s only public teaching health system—and the state’s largest safety-net provider—Valleywise Health serves communities where access, equity, and opportunity matter deeply. Through eight Family Resource Centers located within Federally Qualified Health Centers, Valleywise Health helps families reduce barriers and strengthen stability. These centers ...
November is Family Engagement Month, a perfect reminder that the most powerful learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms—it happens at home, in small, joyful moments families create together. At Raising a Reader, we’ve spent 25+ years helping families build reading routines that spark curiosity, strengthen relationships, and set children on a lifelong path to learning and academic success. When families read ...
Last month, I had the joy of standing on the Central Elementary School campus in San Diego—the very place where Raising a Reader first launched our partnership with the Masons of California 15 years ago—and celebrating something remarkable: together, we’ve reached more than 1,000 classrooms across California through this partnership. From the start, the Masons of California have believed in ...
At Valleywise Health, caring for families means looking beyond clinical care to what truly supports lifelong health. As Arizona’s only public teaching health system—and the state’s largest safety-net provider—Valleywise Health serves communities where access, equity, and opportunity matter deeply. Through eight Family Resource Centers located within Federally Qualified Health Centers, Valleywise Health helps families reduce barriers and strengthen stability. These centers ...
Raising a Reader and Save the Children have been partners for over 15 years! At the recent event in Concord, NC, children at Save the Children Head Start Cabarrus Academy received the bright red bags filled with diverse, award-winning books to take home and read together with their family. Each week, the students will receive new books to rotate in ...
At Raising a Reader, promoting early literacy and STEM education through diverse and inclusive literature is a critical part of our work. Our recent webinar, “Advancing Early STEM Learning with Diverse Books,” and in partnership with the Diverse Books for All Coalition, offered valuable insights and practical strategies for integrating diverse books into early STEM learning. Here, we share ...
By Michelle Torgerson, President and CEO, Raising a Reader Can we talk about Bruno?! Is Encanto’s soundtrack playing on loop at your house? It is at mine, and we almost have all the songs memorized! The movie tells the story of the Madrigal family as they navigate their special powers within their community. So many people—young and old—are feeling seen ...
As we continue to celebrate Raising a Reader’s 25th anniversary, we find ourselves more committed than ever to understanding the incredible potential of early childhood. Advancements in brain science have shed light on the remarkable growth and development that occur in the first few years of life, underscoring the importance of our mission to support early literacy and family engagement. ...
Raising a Reader, a national leader in early literacy and family engagement, emphasizes the critical importance of continuous learning over the summer months. “The summer months offer an opportunity to reinforce and build upon the learning that occurs during the school year,” said Michelle Sioson Hyman, Senior Vice President, Program and Partnerships at Raising a Reader. “However, without resources and learning ...