"But it isn't easy," said Pooh.
“Because Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get,
they’re things which get you.
And all you can do is to go where they can find you.”

-AA Milne, The House at Pooh Corner
In this newsletter:
  • January Resources
  • 2022 Gala Save the Date - May 12th!
  • International Braille Month
  • Announcement: New Board Members & New Officers
  • WGBH report on worsening gap in grade level expectations
  • Annual Report now available
  • Job Opportunity - Program Manager
  • Acknowledgements & Thank You
January Literacy Resources

A very happy 2022 to you!
Check out some of these wintery books as we step into the new year!

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen Over,
Under the Snow by Kate Messner,
and Red Sled by Lita Judge

You can see more literacy tips by clicking the button below for our Family Literacy Calendar.

And visit our Storytime Videos Page on YouTube for fun storytime videos, including our new STEAM stories!
Save the Date! Dinner with an Author Gala
On May 12, 2022, RAR-MA’s celebrated event returns in-person!

This year we celebrate our sweet 16. Our theme, 'Tell Your Story' fits perfectly this celebration of coming back to connect with one another in person and celebrate the resilience of RAR-MA, its communities, and its families. 

The gala will feature a mix and mingle with the chance to meet authors and other attendees, as well as silent and live auctions. The program will also highlight nationally-known authors* whose work epitomizes how RAR-MA constituents can let their imaginations guide their future goals.

(*including Ben Mezrich, Tonya Mezrich, Desmond Hall, Dan Shaughnessy, and Rebecca Pancheco, to name a few!)
Celebrating Braille Around the World!
January is International Braille Month, celebrating the month its inventor, Louis Braille, was born. Braille gave millions of people the gift of literacy in a way unimaginable at the time.

We are proud to offer books in Braille allowing even more learners to share in lovely classics such as Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney!

Ever wonder how Braille works? Perkins School for the Blind is a stupendous resource to educate yourself or explain to young learners the history and use of the language.


We encourage you to learn more about the man and the language!
Welcome New Board Members & Officers
New board members and new leadership at Raising A Reader MA!

Raising A Reader MA is thrilled to announce new board members: Maggie Begley, Katy Caldwell, Dan Grondin and Jeannette Hsu.

All four have valuable experience on boards and a passion for our mission. We look forward to their continued success.

We also congratulate our new officers: Daryl Andrews, Chair; Mercedes Dahar, Vice Chair; Jill Quinby, Treasurer; and Brandon Burns, Secretary. Thank you for your leadership as we begin a new year.

A special and enormous Thank You to Gregg Dooling for all his hard work over the past six years, including chairing our amazing board for the past four years. We appreciate his leadership, support and kindness - and know he will continue to be a champion & ambassador for RAR-MA.
A Growing Gap, A Growing Concern
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On WGBH, MA Department of Education Director of Literacy and Humanities Katherine Tarca said, overall, about half of all third graders met or exceeded grade expectations statewide - That means HALF of the state's 3rd graders need help. And the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, especially for students of color.

According to Meg Woolhouse's report, 68% of black students were not meeting expectations at grade level (up from 62% in 2019) and the problem was worse for Hispanic 3rd graders. From Woolhouse:

"According to the state's latest data, 28% of Hispanic third graders were reading at grade level this year. That figure is 10 points lower than in 2019, the last time the MCAS test was offered."

The literacy gap is growing. Never before has there been a time when action has been so urgently needed. The situation has been on a downwards trajectory these last few years and will not change unless we take action to course correct.

We work hard to combat this growing gap and appreciate all of you in supporting 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.
It's in the bag! Read our FY21 Annual Report
Thank you all for being a part of navigating 2021. The Raising A Reader MA community ensured we could continue bringing the joy of engaging with a great story and your support helped us persevere through another difficult year. Please check out our Fiscal Year 2021 (7/1/20-6/20/21) Annual Report and learn about the impact on this past year.
Job Opportunities
Program Manager
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 and resume to careers@raisingareaderma.org.
Thank you for your support!
The work we do towards helping young leaners cannot be done without the generosity and thoughtfulness of our partners in our mission.

Our deepest thanks to these partners helping us ring in the new year strong.

  • Silicon Valley Bank
  • John Leopold Weil & Geraldine Rickard Weil Memorial Charitable Foundation
  • The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation
  • The PNC Foundation
  • The Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation
  • The TD Charitable Foundation
Opening Doors By Opening Books - Join Us Today!
A United Way Partner Agency