April 17, 2018
Special Announcement
On July 1, Raising A Reader (RAR) will implement a modest price increase in order to cover increasing costs associated with providing the high-quality and award-winning multi-cultural children’s books and materials that are a hallmark of our program. This is the first time in five years that we have implemented a price increase. We are extremely proud that we have been able to keep our pricing stable, maintaining the quality of our materials while at the same time increasing the programmatic support we offer to our affiliate partners. And we are excited to provide even more support over the coming weeks and months including more training and learning opportunities (in person and webinar), more focused technical support and improved customer service offerings, as well as strategic support to help you expand and fundraise for your program.
In addition, we will be adding more resources to your tool box including eight videos (four in English and four in Spanish) that model dialogic reading strategies as well as provide shared reading strategies for children with special needs. As of today, our award-winning video, “Read Aloud Share A Book With Meâ€, is available on our YouTube channel making it easier for our families to access online. Our commitment to program innovation is stronger than ever and we thank all of you for your continued work on the ground. Together we are making a difference so that more children can read and succeed.
We will honor all orders placed by June 29, 2018 with our current pricing. Any orders placed July 2, 2018 onward will be subject to our modest price increase. For any questions or concerns, please contact Heather Deno at hdeno@raisingareader.org or 765-430-1555.
Product Feature of the Month
The Blue Library Bag
The Blue Library Bag helps families to maintain the book sharing habit you have encouraged throughout the year and is the connector to community resources such as the public library. Besides sustaining new habits and connecting to the community, awarding a child with the Blue Library Bag offers a sense of accomplishment for children at the end of a program year, as well as a great mechanism to distribute books or other literacy materials for children to keep.
Order your Blue Bags here. If you need distribution materials we now offer Cricket Media magazines for ages 0-6. Click here to order.
Raising A Reader on the Road
West Virginia Conference for Grade-Level Reading
Raising A Reader is co-presenting with Hancock County Schools at the West Virginia Conference for Grade-Level Reading on Wednesday, April 18. Heather Deno, Director of Business Development and Erica Sauer, RAR Main Coordinator and PreK/Special Education Teacher for Hancock Public Schools, will be showcasing a new innovative way to implement the RAR program which address not only hunger, but literacy as well for the most vulnerable children and families.
Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina
Raising a Reader will be attending the Smart Start Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina on May 1-2. On May 1, all Smart Start staff and representatives are invited to a “meet and greet†from 5-7pm in the hotel conference area. Heather Deno, Director of Business Development and Brand, and Rebecca Armstrong, AVP of Program and Affiliate Stewardship will be hosting you with light fare and refreshments while showcasing new books and RAR materials, as well as talking about exciting new offerings that will be rolling out soon. Rebecca will also be presenting a workshop called “Engaging Families Through the Shared Reading Experience†on May 2. RSVP today for our ‘meet and greet’ at RARinquiry@raisingareader.org.
Maryland Head Start Association Spring Conference in McHenry, MD
Raising A Reader will be attending the Maryland Head Start Spring Conference in McHenry, Maryland from May 9-11. Heather Deno, Director of Business Development, will be available to answer questions about how Raising A Reader is implemented in Early Head Start/Head Start sites and aligns with many benchmarks and goals including family engagement and school readiness efforts.
Webinars
New Recording – Striving Readers Grant for Maryland Schools This webinar discusses how to incorporate the RAR program into your grant application.
New Products
2018 Refreshers
Each Refresher Kit comes with a Red Book Bag and tag and contains 5 high-quality books, new to RAR’s book collection. Use these kits to add to your current book collection or use as replacements for books and bags as needed.
Click/Ladybug Magazines
Award-winning Cricket Media magazines are available to supplement out-of-school-time activities. A great addition to the Blue Bags or to ensure children have high-quality reading material during the summer months.
HELPING PARENTS TO THINK ALOUD
by | Mar 16, 2018
Take a minute and think back to the last read aloud you did with your child. Pause and think about the language you used. Chances are – in your book sharing routine – you asked your child questions: “Where do you think the dog is going?â€, “How does that make the girl…read more
Raising A Reader National Office
Sobrato Center for Nonprofits
489 Valley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035
P 650.489.0550 | F 650.489.0551
hello@raisingareader.org