Raising A Reader® is an award-winning program offered through United Way of South Hampton Roads' Success By 6 Initiative.

The program’s comprehensive strategy increases the early literacy and language skills of young children through childcare provider training, parent education and involvement, and library activities. Many studies indicate that parental involvement in a child's education accelerates the child's learning and language and literacy development. Raising A Reader® builds on this and the latest brain development research to develop parents' and childcare providers' knowledge and skills.

Raising A Reader® uses "take-home" book bags, distributed in childcare settings. Bright red book bags filled with beautiful picture books are rotated weekly among families. Books that inspire all families, even families with limited reading abilities, to engage with their child around books.

Parents are taught the value of sharing these books daily with their children. Raising A Reader® is research-based and has been proven through independent evaluations to increase the school readiness scores of participating children.

For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it at (757) 853-8500 ext. 120.

Raising A Reader Partners

The Raising A Reader® Program is made possible in South Hampton Roads through donor contributions and grants from the following organizations:

Beazley Foundation
Camp Foundation
HSBC, Inc.
Chesapeake Public Schools
Norfolk Public Schools
Portsmouth Public Schools
Sandler Family Foundation
Suffolk Public Schools
The Norfolk Foundation
Target
The USAA Foundation
United Way of South Hampton Roads
Verizon Foundation
City of Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Public Schools
YMCA Early Discoveries

Who's Using Raising A Reader® in South Hampton Roads?

Our local Raising A Reader® program is currently reaching 6,000 children through the help of the following organizations:

Head Start

CHIP / Healthy Families of Chesapeake

Chesapeake Public Schools

NorfolkPublic Schools

Portsmouth Public Schools

Portsmouth Department of Social Services

Virginia Beach Public Schools & Early Discoveries

Suffolk Public Schools

in-home providers through The Planning Council

Children’s Harbor, Portsmouth

Ida Barbour Early Leaning Center, Portsmouth

Judeo Christian Outreach Center Preschool