It's National Poetry Month!
Share your favorite rhyming storybooks - from Mother Goose to Dr. Seuss.
As you read, clap along to the rhythm of the story with your child. Sing the words, or even make up a few rhymes of your own! It's a great way to increase your child's phonemic awareness and prepare them to become successful readers!
Looking for great rhyming books for children?
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WE GIVE 2014
Mark your calendars! Raising A Reader will be participating in the Richmond Community Foundation's We Give Contra Costa event on May 6th.
Support RAR on May 6th by donating here.
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Support RAR with AmazonSmile!
 Showing your support has never been easier. When you shop with AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of your total order to the charity of your choice. Visit AmazonSmile. Log into your Amazon account and choose Raising A Reader, San Francisco and Alameda Counties. When you do, Amazon will remember! Next, simply shop to your heart's content, and let the AmazonSmile Foundation do the rest!
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We're making headlines!
Click the links below to read our most recent press items!
For more news stories featuring RAR, please visit our News page.
EdSource writer Lillian Mongeau shares her experiences attending a read aloud at a local San Francisco preschool, interviews Executive Director Molly Wertz, and shares info on nonprofits dedicated to teaching parents to read with their children. Read more...
Program Coordinator Michele Callwood speaks about earning her Sociology degree on CBS Local.
Raising A Reader was featured in a recent Children's Advocate article on our Red Bag Rotation program, parent education initiatives, and our recent expansion into Contra Costa County. Learn more...
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In this issue, you'll find more information on our latest projects, as well as info on upcoming Spring events.
Happy Reading! --The RAR Team
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What's New at Raising A Reader!
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 Para los PadresOur goal is to provide parents and educators with the best resources for promoting early childhood literacy skills. In this effort, we've created a new Spanish language parent resource page!
Here, you'll find downloadable resources that help make reading with children fun and easy.
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Family Literacy Day Success!
 On March 22, RAR and Children's Fairyland hosted at family literacy day themed "The Wild Journey!" The first event of its kind for Raising A Reader and Fairyland, we're proud to announce its success, and look forward to more family literacy day opportunities in the future.
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 Día de los Niños 2014 Raising A Reader proudly participated in this year's Día de los Niños event, held April 6th at Parque Niños Unidos.
Events of the day included a Literacy Parade, various hands-on activities, and games. RAR staff hosted an activity station where children could create macaras for use in the parade. Children were encouraged to decorate their maracas with letters, adding their names to them, and sharing the experience with their parents to help build phonological awareness, letter recognition, and strengthen fine motor skills.
150 families participated in this year's events, and were able to take books for their home libraries during the event's Book Fiesta. Funding for the Book Fiesta was generously provided by the Mimi and Peter Hass Foundation.
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We're expanding to better serve Bay Area children and families. In the process, we've added new, talented members to our staff in San Francisco and Contra Costa counties. |
| Honor a Mom, Support a Child! |
Our annual Mother's Day Campaign starts today, and we invite everyone to participate! Show your appreciation and gratitude for a special mother in your life by honoring her with a donation in her name.
When you make a donation, the honored mother will receive a beautiful e-card notifying her of your gift, and her name will be added to a bookplate to be displayed within your donated book - or books! - that will then be added to our circulating collection of books that support 14,000 Bay Area families to read with their children.
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Closing the Gap
RAR works to close the achievement gap before it happens. Learn more about the achievement gap by checking out these excellent articles on the New York Times and NPR.
How Brains are Built We love this informative, animated video on " How Brains Are Built!" This video explores the core story of brain development, packed with information and interesting visuals! This video was created by the AFWI with help from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child and the FrameWorks Institute.
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