Launching Attendance Awareness Month 2014
Attendance Awareness Month doesn't arrive until September, but we joined Attendance Works and other organizations yesterday launching preparations  with the release of a revised Count Us In! toolkit and a new website exclusively for materials and information. Last year, we had more than 1,500 people sign up for our regular updates and more than 250 schools and communities post activities on our Attendance Action Map. We're hoping to expand on that success and bring more communities into our movement. Once again, we've got more... ... More »

Tutors: Extra Hands & Hearts
A retired Washington, D.C. teacher, working one on one with a struggling reader, has doubled that child’s reading scores. A Massachusetts couple has donated 800 hours of volunteer support to a first grade class at the local elementary school over four years.  An Arizona businessman, finishing his first year as a volunteer tutor, says: “This is the best thing I’ve ever done.” As the GLR Campaign works to improve reading proficiency among children from low-income families,... ... More »

Language Nutrition for All
This is a guest post from Arianne Weldon, Director of Get Georgia Reading—Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. It originally appeared on the Georgia Family Connection Partnership blog.   Are you talking with your baby? Just as children require warmth, food, and protection, they also require "language nutrition” to meet their developmental potential. Language-rich adult-child interactions are as critical to a baby’s and young child's brain development as healthy food is to physical growth. And a solid foundation of language nutrition can... ... More »

Abriendo Puertas Leader Honored by White House
The White House on Monday named Sandra Gutierrez, national program director of Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, as a Cesar Chavez Champion of Change. Gutierrez is one of 10 community leaders chosen for reflecting the spirit of the Latino leader's legacy. "Parents are true champions of change, unsung heroes of our country." Gutierrez said at Monday's award ceremony. "All parents we see work hard and want a better life for their kids." Abriendo Puertas, an important partner of the GLR Campaign, helps Latino... ... More »

Bright Spots Communities Now Featured on Website
We've added a new category to the “Bright Spots” section of our website – along with Bright Spots School and Bright Spots Programs, we are now featuring Bright Spots Communities. This month, we featured the work of four different areas: In Worcester, MA  four public elementary schools that had no or limited library facilities due to long-ago budget issues will each house a children’s services branch of the Worcester Public  Library. In Stockton, CA the area’s Reach Out... ... More »