Raising A Reader Boosts Parent-child “Book Cuddling” Success Through National Expansion

Feb. 23, 2010 - PRLog -- MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. – Raising A Reader, a national nonprofit offering local agencies an evidence-based early literacy and parent engagement program that has demonstrated it can improve the reading readiness skills of children from birth to age five, announced today the addition of 25 new U.S. affiliates to the organization in 2009.

“With nearly half of all U.S. children entering kindergarten lacking the early reading skills needed for school success, Raising A Reader provides an evidence-based model that prepares young children for academic accomplishment,” said Gabrielle Miller, Ed.D., national executive director of Raising A Reader.  “With our new affiliates, we are now serving 110,000 children and families at 2,500 sites around the country, bringing us closer to our long-term goal of reaching one million children.”

More than a dozen independent research evaluations have shown Raising A Reader programs to significantly increase parent involvement and improve early reading skills of children. The program rotates bright red bags filled with award-winning books into children’s homes on a weekly basis, exposing each child to approximately 100 books per year. Local implementers are trained in interactive “read-aloud” techniques that stimulate early brain development and language acquisition. Implementers, in turn, train parents and caregivers.  Through the program, families are also connected to their local public library. At the culmination of the program, children receive a blue library bag to keep and continue the practice of borrowing books and fostering the parent-child relationship (or “book cuddling”.)

The 25 additional affiliate programs are participating in Raising A Reader across 11 states and one U.S. territory. (See below for the full list.)

Several of the new affiliate programs have already achieved success through Raising A Reader. For example, the Children and Youth Partnership of Dare County in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., began implementing Raising A Reader in a local Head Start program in early 2009.  

“Since Raising A Reader’s inception at the beginning of 2009, we have seen increasing excitement within both the children receiving the book bags and their families, especially as parents read at home with their children,” said Carla Heppert, the Partnership’s early learning coordinator. “For some families, all it takes is somebody supporting them and reminding them that reading and the quality time spent with children while reading is most important.”

In addition, the Southwest Human Development (SWHD), Arizona’s largest provider of services for children and families, has partnered with the Arizona Multi-housing Association to implement Raising A Reader among families living in north and central Phoenix apartment communities.

“Community response to Raising A Reader has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Alan Taylor, director of training at SWHD.  “Many potential partners have contacted us and expressed how much the program is needed as well as their support for the program.  The combination of parental engagement, community support and the opportunity to watch children explore books is hard to ignore.”

Raising A Reader: New 2009 Affiliates

Arkansas

o        Little Rock: Little Rock Air Force Base

Arizona

o        Phoenix: Southwest Human Development

California

o        Rancho Cordova: Folsom Cordova Unified School District

o        Quincy: Plumas Literacy Program

o        Alturas: Modoc County Office of Education

o        San Diego: Words Alive

Colorado

o        Greeley: United Way of Weld County

Indiana

o        Crawfordsville: North Montgomery Community School Corp

o        Mishawaka: Family and Children’s Center, Inc.

Michigan

o        Traverse City: Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency

Oklahoma

o        Norman: Norman Public Schools

Oregon

o        Medford: Family Nurturing Center

North Carolina

o        Pembroke: Lumbee Regional Development Association

o        Raleigh: Telamon Corporation

o        Kenansville: Duplin County Schools

o        Williamston: Martin County Community Action

o        Laurinburg: Four-County Community Services, Inc.

o        Wadesboro: Anson County Partnership for Children

o        Kill Devil Hills: Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County

o        Wilmington: Smart Start of New Hanover

o        Taylorsville: Alexander County Partnership for Children

o        Charlotte: Bethlehem Center of Charlotte

o        New Bern: Craven Smart Start

South Carolina

o        Greenville: Ready 4 Reading

Virgin Islands

o        St. Thomas: Caribbean Literacy Exchange

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Raising A Reader is a nonprofit organization offering local agencies an evidence-based early literacy and parent engagement program that has demonstrated to improve the reading readiness skills of children from birth to age five. With nearly half of all U.S. children entering kindergarten lacking the early reading skills needed for success in school, Raising A Reader has set a long-term goal or reaching one million children and families. The organization currently serves 110,000 children through its 2,500 affiliate sites across the country, and since its founding has reached more than 700,000 children working with organizations such as United Way, Head Start, home visiting programs and school districts. For more information about Raising A Reader, please visit raisingareader.org.