Resources
Fact sheets, research on book ownership, and a directory of local and national organizations working to promote early childhood literacy.
Downloads & Fact Sheets
Printable resources to share with your community, school, or organization.
Research on Book Ownership
Important studies on the link between book ownership and literacy outcomes.
Concludes that children growing up in homes with many books obtain 3 years more schooling than children from bookless homes — independent of parental education, occupation, and social class.
Concludes that book lending and ownership programs have positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes for children.
Examines research on the connections between language development and reading proficiency later in life, and explores interventions for encouraging parents to read to their young children.
Only 47% of kindergarten students were reading at grade level in 2021–2022. Kids who lack adequate reading skills by the end of fourth grade are four times less likely to earn a high school diploma. The article explores how high-impact virtual tutoring shows remarkable promise in helping young children in low-income schools meet literacy markers.
Explores the knowledge gap between affluent and limited-resource Americans — specifically, how financially struggling Americans' lack of information capital hinders their economic and social mobility.
Local Organizations
Greater Akron organizations that promote early childhood literacy.
Provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life.
Children and Books (CAB) is a division of the LeniBug Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Clinton, OH that brings books and literacy experiences to children in the community. CAB participates in local events and festivals to connect kids with books and foster a love of reading.
Akron Children's has partnered with the J.M. Smucker Company to spread the seeds of literacy through the Berry Good Reading Program. Providers give patients from 6 months to 5 years old a new, developmentally appropriate book during well-child visits at all Akron Children's Pediatrics sites, and encourage reading aloud to promote brain development and school readiness.
A free book gifting program that mails one age-appropriate book each month to any child in Ohio from birth through age five. Ohio is among the states with the highest enrollment in the program, and it is available in all Ohio zip codes. Families can enroll online at no cost.
A multidisciplinary team of educators and scholars who serve the community by promoting teaching, learning, and professional development around traditional and new literacies.
National Organizations
National nonprofits and research centers advancing early childhood literacy across the country.
A national membership organization dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that increase access to books. NBAA provides a supportive network for nonprofits across the United States, convening members to share best practices, celebrate successes, put research into action, and work to provide book access as a vital component of equity and opportunity for all. A sponsored project of First Book.
A national nonprofit that provides parents, professionals, and policymakers the knowledge to nurture early development. Their mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.
Generates, translates, and applies knowledge in the service of driving science-based innovation that achieves breakthrough outcomes for children facing adversity globally.
Provides access to new books and educational resources for children in need in the United States and Canada.
Prepares and motivates children (primarily aged 0–8) to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to the families who need them most.
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