In its 1985 report, “Becoming a Nation of Readers,” the National Commission on Reading has noted that the single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning kindergarten.
Census and other data from Lawrence - made available through our friends at Strategies for Children – remind us of the achievement gap that limits children from reaching their potential in this  community.

Because of this and other factors, Lawrence was named one of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities. As such, the city is receiving special attention and funding to support education improvements.  

Raising A Reader MA’s work in Lawrence is part of the Gateway Cities solution. Our partnerships are successfully increasing the rate at which families of young children read with their children at least three times a week by an average of 25% every year. 

Raising A Reader MA in Lawrence 

2008 was the first year of programming.

1,926 children and families are currently being served in Lawrence and nearby Methuen.

There are 33 public school classrooms using Raising A Reader MA:

• Breen School
• Hennessy School
• Rollins School

There are 59 classrooms in 13 child care centers using Raising A Reader MA:

• Asian Center
• Community Day Care
• GLCAC
• Kid Start
• L’Davinci
• Lawrence Head Start
• Little Sprouts (Ballard Way and Merrimack)
• Smart Kids
• YMCA (Lawrence and Methuen)
• YWCA of Lawrence

There are four home visiting programs that integrate Raising A Reader MA as part of their intensive, in-home parenting support:

• MSPCC Connecting Families
• MSPCC Healthy Families
• MSPCC Early Intervention
• Parent Child Home Program

Other partners include CFCE playgroups and 25 family child care providers.