Raising A Reader

Raising A Reader Long Beach is a coordinated citywide effort that will make lap reading and sharing storybooks a family ritual in home with preschool children. "Raising A Reader" is a "take home" 12-week book bag program proven to be a powerful pre-literacy and early learning program for parents and care givers of children ages 6 months to 5 years old

This program addresses a national crisis: (1) One in three children enters kindergarten lacking basic pre-reading skills; (2) a high percentage of these children never develop strong reading skills; (3) nationally, one out of five children enters kindergarten lacking basic print familiarity skills, and (4) one out of three children do not recognize alphabet letters. Raising A Reader works to increase the number of families that lap-read with their preschool children frequently and routinely.

The program combines three highly influential elements, reading aloud, parent-child bonding, and targeting a critical early learning and child development window. The weekly rotation of book bags filled with bright, attractive children's stories cultivates a routine of reading, provides a special bonding time between parents and child, fosters a love of reading, and teaches parents read-aloud strategies to enhance the child's ability to hear language, connect sounds with letters and enrich their vocabulary and story comprehension.

A short instructional video, available in 8 languages, is given to parents to learn how to share a book with a child, and how to interact with and enjoy your child and verbalizing what is seen. Parents gain additional support through the weekly meetings and book exchange.

In October 2003, the Library Foundation and the Public Library kicked off this pilot program in 3 neighborhood branches, 23 community-based English tutoring sites, the Willmore Police Community Center, and the visiting Nurses of Miller Children's Hospital. There are 380 families reading daily to 633 children, and gradually, "Read To Me" is being heard all over Long Beach!

Depending on available funds for books and materials, the program will be implemented at all 12 Public Library Family Learning Center sites, 23 community based adult English tutoring classes, 3 Long Beach Adult Schools, Mary McLeod Bethune Transitional Center for the Homeless, Miller Children's Hospital, 5 police community centers, 22 Even Start, Early Head Start locations, Long Beach foster homes and selected licensed day care facilities.