idealist.org

The Raising A Reader MA mission is to give every child an equal opportunity for achievement by engaging low-income parents in a routine of daily book sharing from birth to age five, fostering healthy brain development, parent-child bonding, and the early literacy skills essential for school success. Raising A Reader works with a variety of early childhood professionals to rotate bright red bags filled with award-winning children's books into the homes of low-income families. Every week, children take home a book bag with a new selection of excellent, age-appropriate books. Raising A Reader MA staff teach early care providers and parents about read-aloud techniques that anyone can use, regardless of literacy ability, and the importance of regular parent-child reading to healthy brain development and school success. RAR staff also work with the childcare providers and home visitors to help them support parents in establishing and maintaining regular read-aloud time at home.