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Welcome
Just what is "The Gap?" We are hearing the term more frequently as early
literacy leaders and nonprofits are waving a red flag trying to get our
attention. We have learned that there is a significant educational and
literacy gap among the children of various socio-economic groups in
contemporary America. We know that 90% of the development of a child's brain
happens before age 6, which leads us to understand that the roots of this
disparity begin at a very early age. And there is no secret to how it begins.
60% of low-income American children grow up in houses that have zero books.
80% of our pre-schools and after school programs have no books. But, what
are we going to do about it?
At REadingADvantage we believe we can do something. By pulling together with
other nonprofits, local libraries, schools and funders, we can supply
children with books from birth on. We can provide low-income homes with a
home library. We can talk to parents and encourage them to read every day to
their children, talk with their children, play with their children, and help
their children explore the world around them. We can make a difference ... one
child, one book at a time.
• Doug Perez, PhD., READ Board of Directors

Latest News
April 2017: April is National Read Aloud Month! See an article in the
digital magazine
Pregnancy & Newborn.
We've had two letters so nice that we copied them to our home
page, below.

READ Spotlight
Our READ Spotlight shines on Deborah Polk, one of our READ co-founders
and Vice President/Secretary on the READ Board of Directors.
Read Deborah's own words
as she describes why she is so passionate about REadingADvantage's
mission.

Coming Soon
All of our events are now open to the public.
See a list.

More about us
Why we are here
Programs and objectives
Did you know? Sobering facts about
low income families and literacy.
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Monthly Reading Tip
Words ... words ... words ... how do babies develop their vocabulary?
Quite simply, they learn from hearing the words of the people around them.
"If the child has never heard the word, the child will never say the word;
and if you have neither heard it nor said it, it's pretty tough to read it
and to write it." (From Jim Trelease's introduction in Read-aloud Rhymes for
the Very Young, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Marc Brown, New
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.)

By the Numbers
Benchmarks reached in 2015:
• 13,570 children's books given out
• 5,699 Recipients
• 79 Workshops
• 17 Community Events

Infographics and Handouts
The Word Gap. (jpg, 403 KB) By age 3, economicaly advantaged children
know more than twice as many words as economically disadvantaged ones.
Beyond the word gap. (PDF, 5.6 MB) Language and learning develop
in the context of early relationships.
Everyday Ways to Support Your Baby's and Toddler's Early Learning. (PDF, 680 KB) A handy, printable
chart with practical suggestions.
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September 16, 2016
Hi Shirley!
Reading Advantage really provided an amazing gift and tool when you
provided a new book for each of our new Kindergartners at registration
time. Our administrative staff that conducted the registration was
blown away at the offer of such beautiful books. And, then, to find
out that not only was it a tremendous gift to the child, it was a great
tool in keeping the child busy while the parent filled out the registration
material.
Thank you, again, for your generous support of these books for
Kindergarten Registration as well as the preschool books you provided at our
Reading Night. We are a lucky community to have Reading Advantage!!
It's been fun to continue to follow you on Facebook - I was smiling
with the most recent post with you and Steve Bibby.
Sincerely,
Erica Olander
Parent Volunteer, John Muir Elementary, Antioch

Antioch Unified School District
TURNER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
4207 Delta Fair Boulevard
Antioch, California 94509
Deborah Meylan, Principal
March 15, 2016
REading ADvantage, Inc.
1145 Second Street, Suite A #113
Brentwood, CA 94513
Dear Deborah Polk and REading ADvantage:
Thank you so very much for including Turner in your book program this
year. What a generous and welcomed surprise!
It was wonderful to have you here at Turner to share your joy and
passion for reading and books. Our Dr. Seuss family night was a huge
success; REading ADvantage played a role in this! Our families love the
free books and information that you so generously gave out. In addition,
you and your group were here for our PTA Holiday Craft Night which was
another big success.
Our families were thrilled to get books. As you may be very aware,
many of the families at Turner struggle to make ends meet on a regular
basis. Although books are exceptionally important, parents are not
always able to make them a priority. Thank you for taking your passion
and making a difference for so many others.
We are very interested in any programs you may offer. We would warmly
and enthusiastically embrace them all. Please let me know if there is
anything you need from me.
Thank you for the time, effort, and resources it takes to make this
valuable program possible. Your love and generosity in providing books
to our students for their homes is heartfelt.
I am honored that you chose to help Turner. We hope that we can
continue to grow and build this partnership.
Humbly,
Deborah Meylan
Principal – Turner Elementary School
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