At Raising A Reader Massachusetts, books matter from birth.  

Nationally, 39% of third graders do not read proficiently. This number jumps to 60% for low-income children. Children who are not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma.

Launched in Massachusetts in 2006, Raising A Reader MA offers an evidence-based early literacy program that helps families of young children, birth through age eight, to develop, practice and maintain habits of reading together at home. Why? Research shows that the single most significant factor influencing a child’s lifelong achievement is being read to regularly by their parents and adult caregivers before starting kindergarten.

Raising A Reader MA works in partnership with early care and education programs and other local community organizations to provide services in high-need communities in Boston and Massachusetts gateway cities. The program model increases access to books and offers support for strengthening the culture of reading at home. 

The research is clear: when families are involved in book sharing, children’s academic achievement improves. Raising A Reader Massachusetts is committed to making that true for all the Commonwealth’s children.