www.raisingareaderma.org

Raising a Reader Massachusetts is dedicated to early childhood literacy. Because summer is a time when many young children fall behind in academic skills, Raising a Reader has developed a summer reading program to keep young children exposed to books over these critical 3 months.

Executive Director Donna DiFillippo, a seasoned advocate for childhood education, is authoring a weblog to help parents and other caregivers promote reading with children.  Ms. DiFillipo will share her favorite children’s books, suggest fun ways for parents and caregivers to bond with young readers, and outline opportunities to increase critical literacy skills.  Click here to access Ms. DiFillippo’s blog.

DiFillippo’s first entries on her blog of favorite children’s books (I also share these favorites!!!):

“The Napping House” by Don and Audrey Wood
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
“Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
“The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear” by Don and Audrey Wood
“Eating the Alphabet” by Lois Ehlert

According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Report, 35% of U.S. children enter kindergarten unprepared to learn, with most lacking the vocabulary and sentence structure crucial to later academic success. Raising a Reader’s mission is to give every child an equal opportunity for achievement by engaging parents from low-income communities in a routine of daily book sharing with their children from birth through age five.

For more information on Raising a Reader and its programs and volunteer opportunities, please click on www.raisingareader.org