RAISING A READER

The Raising A Reader® mission is to foster healthy brain development, parent-child bonding and early literacy skills critical for school success by engaging parents in a routine of daily “book cuddling” with their children from birth to age five. The program addresses a national need for effective early literacy programs. One in three children entering kindergarten lacks basic pre-reading skills, which are proven to be a key factor in determining high-school graduation and lifelong success.

Raising A Reader became the second social venture fund of the Center for Venture Philanthropy in September 2000. It has expanded from a San Mateo County Library System pilot program serving 24 classrooms in Northern California, to an award-winning national organization with 12 independent evaluations that prove its success.

How it Works

Headquartered at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Raising A Reader is operated through a diverse national network of community organizations that reach out to low-income families through preschools, home-visiting programs, adult education centers, family childcare homes — any place where parents and children routinely gather.

Raising A Reader fills a critical niche in the spectrum of national early literacy programs, providing a low-cost, scalable method for communities to foster read-aloud routines in the homes of low-income families. Raising A Reader has 84 affiliate partners in more than 150 communities across 31 states. Raising A Reader has served more than 300,000 children since 2000, and has 100,000 bright red book bags currently circulating nationwide.

To learn more visit the Raising A Reader website.