"Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words!"
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1943
More Great Books for Maine Kids
NEWS FROM RAISING READERS DECEMBER 2011
A Gift for the Children of Maine
One of the greatest joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and to wish you the very best for the new year!
At Raising Readers we have much to be thankful for and many people to thank. Here goes...
Our thanks to the Libra Foundation for making the program a lasting gift to the children of Maine;
Our thanks to the 375 participating hospitals, birth centers and medical practices that distribute the books to Maine families and talk with them about the importance of reading;
Our thanks to the libraries, home visitors, family literacy programs, childcare providers and so many others, that work with us to support kids and reading;
and, our thanks to the parents/caregivers who make books and reading part of their family routine, giving their kids a jump start on learning to read.
Together we've brought books into the homes of nearly 190,000 individual children over the last eleven years. Since 2000, more than 1.7 million books have been distributed.
The result is that nearly all children age birth to five, have a personal library of a dozen books before going to school. That's something Maine can be proud of and no other state can claim.
A Gift for You: 2012 Maine Early Literacy Calendar
"As parents/caregivers, we're uniquely positioned to support children's knowledge of the world around them and help them make connections between books and their own experiences. In short, we can help children think and develop their brains. And we can do that by talking, playing, and reading with our children. How great is that?"Susan Bennett-Armistead, PhD
Join us in a year-long celebration of literacy in young children with the 2012 Maine Early Literacy Calendar.
This calendar offers you a year's worth of information, ideas, and activities to help you continue to build your child's brain. Even better, each month features one of the books Raising Readers will give to children throughout 2012.
Join Us on Social Media You can stay in touch with Raising Readers daily or weekly by joining us on Facebook or by following our blog. It's a great way to engage in conversation with us or with other families across Maine.
Let us know what you're thinking about reading with your kids. Or read parent reviews of favorite Raising Readers books. We hope to create a community of Maine families helping one another to raise a new generation of readers in Maine.
