The Raising A Reader Review | Mid Winter 2012 Edition

Raising A Reader MA:

Early literacy for lifelong achievement

Winter Newsletter 2012

Mayor Joe Curtatone reads to children in Somerville

Somerville's Mayor Joe Curtatone supports Raising A Reader MA's high impact early literacy program.

"...my goal as mayor is do everything I can to make Somerville a great place to live, work, play and raise a family. To achieve that goal, we've implemented plans to develop the city's economy, expand and improve municipal services, and promote recreation by making the most of our city's limited open space.

But nothing - nothing - has done more for our community and its future than our efforts to promote educational opportunities for our children, both inside and outside the classroom."

Upcoming Events

What: Dare to Dream Adventure Academy
When: Wednesday, February 22 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Legacy Place Mall in Dedham
Cost: Free and open to the public

Join Raising A Reader MA and other vendors at Legacy Place Mall's "Dare to Dream" Adventure Academy where children are invited to try three play challenges. Finish all three challenges for the opportunity to meet a Disney character.

What: Raising A Reader MA's Dinner with an Author Major Donor Dinner

When: Thursday, March 29 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Where: Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse (75 Arlington Street)

Cost: Ticket prices start at $250

Raising A Reader MA's exclusive Dinner with an Author will be hosted again at Davio's on March 29th. Join us for Words, Wine and Wonders as we share dinner and drinks with local literary luminaries like Andre Dubus III (Townie, House of Sand and Fog), Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express, Jumanji), Julia Kirby (Harvard Business Review), and Barefoot Books author and musician Susan Reed.

Advance ticket purchase is required. Contact Gretchen Kinder in Raising A Reader MA's office of Strategic Growth and Development to learn more, 617.292.BOOK (2665) or gretchen@raisingareaderma.org.

Please join us for Raising A Reader MA's Dinner with an Author on March 29, 2012.

What: Revere High School Read-a-Thon to benefit Raising A Reader MA

When: Thursday, April 5th from 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Where: Revere High School

Cost: Students must raise at least $25 to participate

Students at Revere High School have raised more than $9,000 to support Raising A Reader MA through their annual read-a-thon.

Contact Lorianne Saniuk to learn more about pledging a student reader or hosting a read-a-thon in your community. Lorianne can be reached at 617.292.BOOK (2665) or lorianne@raisingareaderma.org.

About Raising A Reader MA

Raising A Reader MA is an evidence-based early literacy program dedicated to helping families develop, practice and maintain habits of reading together at home. Why? Research shows that the single most significant factor influencing a child's lifelong achievement is being read to by their parents and adult caregivers before starting kindergarten.

Learn more and become a supporter online at

www.raisingareaderma.org.

Raising A Reader MA is providing evidence-based early literacy services to more than 8,200 children in 2012.

Mid-Year Progress Report

"Oh what a year!"

This is how Raising A Reader MA's Executive Director, Donna DiFillippo, introduces the FY (fiscal year) 2012 mid-year progress report.

The report, available online, details Raising A Reader MA's ongoing work to deepen the strengths of its core program model, expand the number of children and families with whom we work, and respond to the state's new Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant.

Download the report now to read more about how Raising A Reader MA is on track to meet its service and impact goals by June 2012.

Interactive, Dialogic Reading works

The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), Sherri Killins, is committed to supporting the use of evidence-based instructional practices in preschools, child care centers, and other community-based locations where children receive early learning support. To help community-based programs decide what programs to use for their early literacy instruction, EEC is distributing the What Works for Early Language and Literacy Development fact sheet written by Alison Chrisler, and Thomas Ling (2011) and produced by Child Trends.

This fact sheet summarizes the academic literature that shows that Raising A Reader MA's style of interactive, Dialogic Reading is shown to have a statistically significant impact on children's vocabulary development, verbal fluency and listening skills.

Want to learn more? Browse the research database at Child Trends online.

Thanks to our 2012 sponsors!

Dana Farber Cancer Institute, UniFirst Corporation, and Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse are expecting to see 10% increase in their 2012 philanthropic and promotional investment in Raising A Reader MA. Why? Corporate sponsors who sign on through June 2012 will be eligible for a 10% match through Raising A Reader MA's affiliation with the Rodman Ride for Kids.

Corporate sponsors in 2012 also include:

$10,000-$24,999 - Early Learning Center Level

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

UniFirst Corporation

$6,000-$9,999 - Library Level

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse

$3,000-$5,999 - Reading Nook Level

Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications

Barefoot Books

Want to see your name in this list and on all of our printed materials? Download our Corporate Sponsorship Benefits package now, or contact Raising A Reader MA's office of Strategic Growth and Development to learn more, 617.292.BOOK (2665) or gretchen@raisingareaderma.org.