SchoolGrants Links - Reading / Literacy

Links - Reading / Literacy
As I conduct searches across the Internet, I come across a number of great sites that I want to share with you. These sites are not necessarily related to grants but are a wealth of information for teachers and other educators. If you have favorite sites that are not listed here, please let me know! Remember, all links open in their own windows.

Get Ready to Read!	Get Ready to Read! is a national campaign to build the early literacy skills of preschool children. The campaign brings research-based strategies to parents and early childhood teachers and caregivers for helping prepare children to learn to read and write. The goal is to ensure that all children have opportunities to become successful readers. Get Ready to Read! is an initiative of the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

2002 Writing Results	This report presents the results of the 2002 assessment in writing from the National Assessment of Educational Progress for the nation and for the participating states and jurisdictions. Comparisons are made to performance in the national assessment of 1998 at grades 4, 8, and 12. Comparison data are given within and across participating states and jurisdictions for 2002 at grade 4 and for both 1998 and 2002 at grade 8. Student performance is reported in terms of average scale scores on the NAEP writing scale and by the percentages of students who attained the achievement levels set by the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). In addition, the report presents percentile distributions and demographic subgroup results for the nation, including results by gender, race/ethnicity, student eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch, Title I, parents’ highest level of education, type of school, and type of school location. For participating states and jurisdictions, performance results for subgroups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and student eligibility for free/reduced-price school lunch are presented. The report also includes sample assessment writing tasks and examples of student responses in narrative, informative, and persuasive writing modes. Scoring guides for each of the writing modes at grades 4, 8, and 12 as well as rationales for scores of student responses are provided. Appendices include information on national and state samples, school and student participation rates, participation and accommodation of students with disabilities and/or limited-English-proficient students, subgroup percentages, and state-level contextual variables.

The Neglected "R" - Writing	The National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges, a panel convened by the College Board in anticipation of the addition of a writing assessment to the SAT in 2005, recently released its report, The Neglected “R” that calls for schools to devote more time and resources to developing students’ writing skills. According to the report, "American education will never realize its potential as an engine of opportunity and economic growth until a writing revolution puts language and communication in their proper place in the classroom.” The report looks at current challenges and offers recommendations for improving the writing skills of our Nation’s students.

Evidence-Based Reading Instruction and Reading First: A Workshop Presentation	The International Reading Association has developed this workshop to support those who are applying for Reading First funding and to address the requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation. Workshop presentations can be arranged for your area and there is a PowerPoint presentation that is adapted from the workshop available online. If you are applying for Reading First funds, it may be worth your time to scroll through the 42-slide presentation.

GIVE KIDS GOOD SCHOOLS	Having a good teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor in kids' learning. But more than 20% of new teachers quit after only 3 years. And over 30% of teachers in high poverty schools aren't even qualified to teach the subject they're assigned. GiveKidsGoodSchools.com is a new campaign that aims to improve the quality of public education for kids nationwide, starting with putting a good teacher in every classroom. Please take 30 seconds and send an e-mail asking your governor to make good teachers a top priority. Click on the link above to access the GiveKidsGoodSchools.com Web site.
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Links to Possible Sources of Funding for Books, Reading and Literacy Programs
Thanks a million to Lynda Sloan for compiling and sharing this list! The big booksellers, such as Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and Borders are usually willing to partner on some kind of promotional efforts for books to be donated to social service programs and schools. Check out their Web sites or visit local bookstores and speak with the store manager about the program you're proposing. Lynda identified some publishers and added that is a good idea to get the publishers' names for the books you want and then contact them. Publishers Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing awards general operating grants to nonprofit organizations working with literacy and youth. 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; (212) 354-6500 Scholastic: http://scholastic.com. Annually, 3-5 national nonprofits receive large donations of books, to serve children in unique and creative ways. Go to their website and see who those national nonprofits are since they may be redistributing the books to deserving charities and/or schools. National Book Scholarship Fund (www.laubach.org/NBSF) Provides grants of books and other educational materials to family literacy and English-as-second-language programs. If you are planning to do a "reading program" around the donation of books, there are a number of private and public funders - especially now with the tremendous focus on reading and family literacy - who are willing to fund books and other costs associated with reading programs. With many of these sources, you will need to link with your community’s social service organizations. You may not need to write a grant but can partner with these valuable community resources instead. Literacy/Reading Funding Sources George I. Alden Trust supports education-related groups, such as literacy and youth organizations. 370 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608; (508) 798-8621; fax (508) 791-1201 Barbara Bush Foundation - http://www.barbarabushfoundation.com Dollar General Community Contributions –supports nonprofits in company operating areas for literacy programs and youth development initiatives. (Click on "Community" on the Dollar General menu) EPS Solutions funds education-related programs for youth including literacy. (On 6/19/2003, this link was not valid) Farmers Insurance Group of Companies – education giving focuses on literacy programs. Grantmakers in Education is a source for funding for pre-K-12 education projects. This and other similar sources can be reviewed for reading, literacy, etc. related programs. Handspring Foundation is especially interested in programs concerned with literacy. i2 Foundation – main priority is the development and education of youth, including illiteracy. International Reading Association, 800 Barksdale Rd., P.O. Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714-8139; telephone, 302/731-1600; fax, 302/731-1057; use the site search and type in "grants" Kmart Corporate Contributions has new funding priorities that should include literacy, based on previous grants. (Kmart's financial problems prevent it from making grants at this time. 6/19/03) Ann M. Martin (author of Babysitter series) - (Link was not valid on 6/19/2003) Andrew W. Mellon Foundation gives to youth and literacy programs. www.mellon.org MetLife Foundation The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the U.S. Education Department (ED) and the National Institute for Literacy (NIL) have launched a competition for research to determine the best instructional methods and program approaches for adult and family literacy programs. PWRA (People Who Read Achieve) Grant was, at one time, a funding priority of 7-11 stores. Call 1-800-7111. David and Lucille Packard Foundation has a “center for the future of children” with one of their priorities being reading programs. Seaver Institute supports youth and literacy. 555 S. Flower Street, Suite 4580, Los Angeles, CA 90071; (213) 673-2090; fax (213) 673-2089 Starbucks Foundation For Youth-led Literacy Efforts: National Education Association The National Education Association and Youth Service America jointly sponsor the NEA's Youth Leaders for Literacy to inspire youth-led reading-related service programs. Proposals for literacy service projects, to be conducted during a seven-week period in March and April, will be considered for a $500 grant. Grant applications, available at www.nea.org/readacross/volunteer/youthleaders.html, must be postmarked by December 1, 2003. National 4-H Literacy Education/Youth Leadership grants support ongoing literacy programs or new and creative youth-led programs. (Link was not valid on 6/19/2003) Other Miscellaneous Ideas: The NBA has identified reading as their primary focus. Their program is called Reading to Achieve and they collaborate with national partners like Reading is Fundamental and Scholastic, Inc. Check out websites like: Reach Out and Read: a national pediatric literacy program Link up with your local Success by Six (via your United Way) and School Readiness Coalition. Ideas Collected from Previous BHTB Messages: “Check with the local public school system's library media services. Private and religious schools qualify for funding for library books. The funding comes from the federal government.” “We also asked various children's book publishing companies, Books a Million, World Book, etc. for books and they each sent a shipment of free books.” ”Lastly, try your area churches. We have collected over 400 books just from collection boxes at local churches.” “Reading is Fundamental" is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. They provide organizations (not classroom libraries) with federal money for books. The program is intended to give away free books to students for them to keep. One of the premises is that students be allowed to choose which book they what to get, without interference from teachers. Therefore, a teacher cannot say to all of his/her students that they must choose a particular book and thus get the multiple sets of one title.” “Talk with your media specialist. Sometimes you can get free books by hosting a book fair at your school from companies such as Scholastics and Troll.” “Watch the new ESEA federal legislation-there is a section there for school libraries. Go the American Library Association website.” Several suggested websites from previous BHTB messages: Literacy Empowerment Foundation (offers free books, shipping cost only)- www.firstbook.org www.booksforkidsfoundation.org www.librifoundation.com (link was not valid on 6/19/2003) www.darienbookaid.com (link was not valid on 6/19/2003) Thanks again, Lynda, for sharing so much valuable information with all of us!
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If anyone has links they'd like to contribute, please let me know!


Links on this page were verified and updated on June 19, 2003. The dynamic nature of the Internet means that links may be gone tomorrow. Sometimes unscrupulous individuals and companies purchase popular links and put pornographic materials on those sites. Please let me know ASAP if you come across such a link. Please include the SchoolGrants Web page where you found the bad link.
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