Raising A Reader

Studies show that reading to a preschool child is crucial to that child’s lifetime success at learning. But many children in our community have no books in their homes and parents who, with the stress of making ends meet, may not be reading regularly with their children. Imagine the difference it would make in these children’s lives if their childcare center provided both reading tools for parents and caregivers that helped the entire family develop a shared reading time at home and colorful bags of books to borrow each week.

Raising A Reader has proven remarkably successful at creating shared home reading experiences. As the library's largest early literacy effort, it reaches 36,450 young children and parents, and sends more than 36,000 books into homes each week. Working with nearly 415 partners, including Head Starts, childcare centers, home health professionals and nonprofits, Raising A Reader provides training, books and activities that encourage parents, teachers and caregivers to read to children. Books and materials are made available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese.

See the program in action here.

Raising A Reader is made possible by The Library Foundation with gifts from the Portland Children's Levy and the JFR Foundation.