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Masons of California, Raising a Reader and WUSD Expand Programs to Improve Afghan Refugee Student Literacy
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 ...
Celebrating Diverse Books: Recap and Resources from Our Latest Pages of Inclusion Webinar
In collaboration with the Diverse Books for All Coalition, Raising a Reader hosted the fifth installment of a webinar series: Creating Belonging: Welcoming Students Back to School with Diverse Books. If you couldn’t make it, don’t worry—you can watch it here! Here are some of the resources mentioned in the webinar:
Curating Books for Social Emotional Learning Collection
Did you ever wonder how and why we pick the books we do for our programs? Let’s take a peek at some key considerations we keep in mind when curating social-emotional learning books that help children navigate their emotions, relationships, and the world around them. 1. Content and Themes: We choose books that explore a wide range of feelings, challenges, and ...
Meet Nikia Brown, RAR’s Development and Communications Operations Associate
Where are you from originally? Where are you currently located? I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I currently live in Buffalo, New York. Let us know a fun fact about you? As a true New Yorker, I finally learned how to drive and got my driver’s license at the age of 29. What do you do for ...
Partners Spotlight Series
Read the Room – Using Place and Space to Facilitate Reading
Leveraging technology, family reading and school readiness to improve healthy outcomes for children Caption: Worldreader’s BookSmart app and the Raising a Reader organization are helping to virtually fill the shelves of little libraries in “Kinder Ready” pediatric clinics. By Kristen Walter, Director of US Programs, Worldreader Every clinic waiting room has one: the frazzled adult with several kids in tow, ...
Summer Reading is Here. Get in Shape. Stay in Shape.
Reading over summer vacation may not be a priority for children, but parents and teachers should make it one. Why? Summer reading is critical for students to defeat summer learning loss and retain knowledge and skills learned in the previous school year and help prepare them for the upcoming school year. Students who don’t read are at risk of ...
Webinars
Advancing Early STEM Learning with Diverse Books: Practical Tips and Resources
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 ...
Can we talk about Bruno?
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 ...
Press Releases
The Science of Early Learning: Unlocking the Potential of Babies, Toddlers, and Pre-K Children
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. ...
Bridging the Summer Gap: Why Continued Learning is Crucial
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 ...