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  • Governor's Office, 360-902-4111

Governor Gregoire Announces Literacy Grants for Washington Families

For Immediate Release: October 19, 2007

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today announced $1.5 million in reading readiness grants to support early literacy activities for young children and their families.

�These grants are designed to reach Washington children who face some of the toughest barriers to literacy,� said Governor Gregoire. �By helping parents become an essential part of the process, we can ensure families are given the tools to prepare their children for school.�

Support for the Early Reading Initiative comes from the Washington Department of Early Learning (DEL) and its partner, Thrive by Five Washington, which is awarding the grants to the 14 projects.

�The road to literacy begins long before kindergarten and these grants will provide tremendous community-based support for Washington�s youngest learners and their families,� said Jone Bosworth, DEL Director.

�Research clearly shows that children who have lots of exposure to language, verbal interaction and reading with parents and caregivers, are far more likely to be ready for school - and less likely to develop reading problems when they enter school,� said Dr. Graciela Italiano-Thomas, Thrive by Five President and Chief Executive Officer

The grants will serve primarily children from low-income families, whose parents speak a language other than English, live in rural areas, or are otherwise at risk of beginning kindergarten without the necessary literary skills. The programs receiving grants have demonstrated a clear commitment to working closely with parents to increase the amount of time spent reading with their young children.

Grant recipients:

  • Tukwila Children�s Foundation will receive $118,979. The foundation will offer themed evening sessions for parents in pre-reading, pre-math and social-emotional skills to help parents prepare their child for kindergarten.
  • Educational Service District 101 will receive $110,972. District 101 serves Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties, as well as the Kalispel Indian Reservation. The grant will support family-based literacy programs.
  • Catholic Family & Child Services will receive $120,000. Catholic Family & Child Services serves Latino and low-income families in Kittitas County. The organization will host group meetings and offer home visits to support culturally appropriate development.
  • Seattle Public Library Foundation will receive $80,850. The program teaches read-aloud strategies to parents to enhance the child�s ability to hear words, connect sounds with letters and enrich their vocabulary and story comprehension.
  • Children�s Home Society will receive $108,117. The group will offer Early Literacy Play and Learn Groups to parents and caregivers. The project will serve high-need families, including those with children who have disabilities and homeless families in the College Place community.
  • Wenatchee Valley College will receive $120,000. Bicultural and bilingual early literacy specialists will work with parents and childcare providers in Brewster, Bridgeport, Chelan, Cascade, Wenatchee and Eastmont school districts.
  • Olympic Educational Service District 114 will receive $119,897. District 114 serves the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. The region includes eight tribal nations and seven military installations. The grants will help establish a regional reading foundation, promote community awareness of early literacy and help school districts establish support for ongoing early learning initiatives.
  • Bremerton School District will receive $120,000. Literacy instruction will be taught in interactive literacy centers, with an array of take home activities, books and games. Bremerton School District will expand its early childhood care and education partnership.
  • Northwest Educational Service District 189 will receive $120,000. District 189 will use the grant to address significant achievement gaps for Latino students, targeting three of the highest-need elementary schools in the Mount Vernon and Burlington-Edison school districts.
  • Child Care Action Council will receive $97,100. The council will expand services in Lewis, Mason and Thurston and counties.
  • Longview Public Schools will receive $76,116. Classes on language and literacy for very young children will be offered to teenage parents and to Latino families.
  • Benton Franklin Head Start will receive $120,000. This grant will help low-income and Latino families learn about their children�s early literacy progress and will connect families with public libraries. Benton Franklin Head Start is working with the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation and the Mid-Columbia Library.
  • National Children�s Reading Foundation will receive $120,000. The foundation will expand its leadership to provide start-up support and mentoring for four new reading foundations and coordinate a statewide school readiness campaign.
  • Reach Out and Read will receive $120,000. Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based program that trains doctors and nurses to teach parents about the importance of reading aloud and provides books to children at pediatric check-ups. This funding will help launch the first phase of the Reach Out and Read Washington State Expansion Project, the beginning of a five-year expansion plan to reach an additional 70,000 children living in high-need communities around the state.


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