Literacy

There are thousands of kindergarteners throughout California who do not have the resources to build their educational foundation. These children never achieve the literacy skills they need for success in school, and are at risk for overall educational failure. Long-term, they’ll have fewer employment opportunities, and may struggle with feelings of isolation or shame.

The facts are startling:

• The vast majority of low income families don’t have a single book in their homes
• California ranks near the bottom of the United States for child literacy.
• 90% of children who cannot read at grade level by 3rd grade will never catch up

To address this problem, the California Masonic Foundation has partnered with one of the nation’s largest and most successful literacy organizations, Raising A Reader, to bring this award-winning literacy program to public schools for the first time in the U.S. Through this partnership we will make a profound difference in child literacy for those who need it most: kindergartners in California’s lowest-performing public schools, who are at the highest risk for educational failure.

We will circulate children's books to homes, engage families in shared reading of those books, and help thousands of children develop reading readiness skills.

We will turn the page for child literacy in California.

How You Can Help

• Be a Literacy Role Model: Role modeling is the most powerful way to change children’s behavior. Read for pleasure, and let children observe you enjoying a good book. Explain why you love to read. Offer to bring children on library outings.
• Be a Guest Reader: Share your love of reading and offer to read stories at local libraries, schools, and community centers.
• Be a Literacy Tutor: Help local children learn to read by volunteering through schools or public libraries.
• Act as a Literacy Advocate: Champion the importance of literacy by speaking with your family, friends, employer, local community groups, and the local media. Work to bring programs like Raising A Reader to your home community.
• Host Literacy Events: Offer to hold formal or informal literacy-focused events for children and families at your lodge, home, or business. Sample events are read-aloud parties and parent-child book clubs.
• Provide Financial Support: Consider making a personal gift to the California Masonic Foundation and the Raising A Reader partnership, on behalf of yourself or someone special in your life. To contribute online, please click here.