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Support our work by giving today! |
Opening Doors by Opening Books! |
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"Literacy is... the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential."
-Kofi Annan
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December Literacy Resources |
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You can also visit our Storytime Videos page on YouTube for more fun storytime videos, including our new STEAM storytimes.
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Welcome to the RAR-MA team, Will! |
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We're thrilled to announce that Will McMahon has joined the RAR-MA team as our new Development and Communications Manager!
When he was 7, Will informed his mother that he did not need to complete his math homework because he was “more of a words guy anyways.” Upon graduating with a marketing degree from Emerson College, he spent the better part of his twenties working in schools with grades PreK-8th and as a special education aid. He has experience as a coach and camp leader and is happy to explain how to make ice cream out of ziploc bags, rock salt and half & half. That, unsurprisingly, was the hit of science camp. His work with 3-6 year olds allowed him to pursue one of his true passions, doing silly voices as he reads aloud.
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After reading his first book, Go Dogs, Go!, he continued to voraciously consume the written word. He credits his parents’ love of reading and writing, an early introduction to Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl, and a strong humanities education for his comfort in and abilities around communication – and his tendency towards the ridiculous and verbose.
Will has his Master’s degree in Management from Lesley University and enjoys reading in the woods or on his deck with his wife and dog, Sherlock Bones, P.I. His favorite children’s authors are Jon Sciezka (The Stinky Cheese Man), Eric Carle, and Sandra Boynton. Some of his other favorites are If You Give A Moose A Muffin, Where the Wild Things Are, and Make Way For Ducklings.
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Early Literacy Heading into 2022 |
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“One student, who was remote all last year, came back this year and said, ‘You may not remember me, because I was on the computer’,” (The Boston Globe, November 28, 2021). Children across the state, around the critical ages of 2-6, have had their routines completely upended by the pandemic.
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According to one Globe report, “As a result, teachers said, first-graders showed up this fall with more uncertainty and anxiety than usual, and far less familiarity with basic classroom etiquette.” RAR-MA's dialogic reading methods instill confidence, as participants learn to communicate their thinking beyond what is on the page. These skills are more important now than ever before, as all young learners face an uphill battle.
It appears some help may be on the way for the key ages of Pre-K and Kindergarten, as millions of dollars are to be allocated to Universal Preschool in the ‘Build Back Better’ plan. At the forefront of education, Massachusetts is looking to go beyond the bill, introducing ‘Common Start’ legislation with the goal of treating “early education as a common good and pay for it with public funds, like K-12 public schools.”
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Get Involved - Annual Appeal Matching Funds |
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Thanks to our generous donors, we've raised over $25,000 in unrestricted funds to support our early literacy parent engagement programs.
Every dollar raised by 12/31/21 will be matched until we reach $30,000, doubling the impact of your gift, thanks to the generosity of the Nan Haar Legacy Foundation. Your gift of any amount could help us unlock up to $60,000 to support our important work.
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Dinner with an Author Gala: Author Preview |
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This year's Dinner with an Author Gala will feature authors like:
Desmond Hall,
Ben and Tonya Mezrich,
and Dan Shaughnessy!
Click the button below for more details.
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Congratulations, Dan Shaughnessy! |
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Congratulations to Dan Shaughnessy on the launch of his new book, Wish it Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics!
We were so grateful to be part of Dan's book launch event, graciously hosted by Jeannette Hsu, and we look forward to seeing Dan as part of our Dinner with an Author Gala on May 12th.
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Thank you, Bancel Foundation! |
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We are so grateful to the Bancel Foundation for their generous gift of $25,000 and their ongoing support of our mission to close the literacy opportunity gap among children ages birth to age six in under-resourced communities by helping families develop and practice shared home reading habits.
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The Program Manager is a vital member of the program team who is primarily responsible for leading efforts to ensure parents and caregivers are exposed to our dual intervention program.
For details about this roles, please find the full description via the button below. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to careers@raisingareaderma.org.
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Become a monthly Open Door Partner by giving today! |
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A United Way Partner Agency |
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