Who We Are
Ferst Readers mission is "strengthening communities by providing quality books and literacy resources for children and their families to use at home during the earliest stages of development." Ferst Readers wants every child to have the best start in life - and nothing helps a baby's brain develop more than exposure to rich language and loving interactions. The key is having books in the home and being read to - right from birth. Our vision is "to create better learners, brighter futures, and stronger communities by giving every child under five access to quality books in their homes."
What We Do
Ferst Readers was founded in 1999 to address the growing problem of children, many from from low-income communities, entering kindergarten without basic early literacy skills and school readiness, a preventable problem that has far-reaching impacts throughout students’ lives. The recipe for early school success is simple: start school with strong literacy skills. Ferst Readers’s recipe for encouraging early literacy development is even simpler. Ensure children have developmentally-appropriate books in their home and provide parents with resources that support them in their role as their child's first teacher. Children in the Ferst Readers literacy program receive a bookstore-quality, age-specific book and resources mailed to them at home every month until their fifth birthday. It's this access to print that helps create a language-rich environment in the home.
