Raising Readers

Books for Maines Youngest Children from the Very Beginning Its a fact that reading to young children makes them smarter, healthier and better prepared for life. It is this simple truth that led Maines Libra Foundation to create Raising Readers, a statewide program that gives quality board and hardcover booksfree of chargeto all Maine children between the ages of birth and five. Through the simple act of placing books in childrens hands, Raising Readers reinforces the powerful understanding that literacy begins well before children enter kindergarten. By integrating books into birth and primary care, the program has also reinforced the well documented link between health and literacy. The Libra Foundation has taken the beloved and intensely powerful practice of parents reading aloud to their children and made it the cornerstone of a state-wide initiative that can significantly change the lives of Maine children. Indeed, studies have found that children whose parents read to them ju...