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Sharing books and reading aloud to children from infancy builds the language skills and love for books and reading that helps prepare children for success in school and life.

Did you know that in the United States:

  • 1 in 5 children grows up in poverty
  • Nearly 63% of low-income children do not attend preschooli
  • 60% of children living in poverty have no books in their homeii

That means millions of children growing up in poverty in the U.S. enter kindergarten unprepared. And children who reach third grade not reading at grade level are more likely to drop out of high school.

Through Together, We Read, Save the Children and Rotary International are taking action together to raise awareness about early learning and to make early literacy and kindergarten readiness a central focus in your community. Together, we can improve learning outcomes and create lasting change for children. Here you’ll find all the tools and ideas you need to get started!

Brantley, 6, pauses while reading a book in his Kentucky classroom. Brantley is part of Save the Children's emergent reader literacy program which provides training, tools and support schools need to accelerate reading growth for struggling readers. Photo credit: Ellery Lamm / Save the Children 2018.
AWARENESS
LEARN MORE
Help improve education outcomes for children. Build awareness about the importance of early learning and literacy programs.
Two young children sit at a table together and look at colorful picture books. Save the Children’s early learning programs promote reading from a young age. Photo credit: Susan Warner / Save the Children, April 2016.
ACTIVATIONS
GET STARTED
Mobilize and engage your community through reading and literacy projects and activities.
A portrait of Tora, 6 at the Save the Children SummerBoost program at her school in South Carolina.
ADVOCACY
READ ON
Raise your voice and advocate to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning.
Aria and Kaylie are singers on the Prep Step, a song and dance Save the Children created to promote emergency preparedness. Aria was nearly sucked away by the tornado when it pulled the roof off the former Agapeland building in 2013. Photo credit: Brett Deering / Save the Children 2016.
FUNDRAISING
START HERE
Bridge the Gap for early education by hosting a fundraising walk in your community.

GETTING STARTED

Before launching Together, We Read, you will need to assess the state of early learning and literacy needs in your community and review Rotary and Save the Children’s child safeguarding policies.

Ada, Kellen and Easton look at books on the playground at Save the Children’s Head Start center in Russellville, Ark., on April 27, 2017. Save the Children brings its expertise in improving educational opportunities and outcomes for kids in underserved communities to its federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start programs, which promote school readiness and social and emotional development for kids in low-income families. Photo credit: Eli Murray / Save the Children 2017.

Understanding Your Community's Needs
Find tools to help you understand the needs and assets of your community specific to early childhood education and literacy, so your club can effectively implement activations.
Download our assessment guide

Tennessee summerboost reading program. Photo credit: Save the Children 2016.

Child Safeguarding
Learn about your responsibility to ensure that all children reached through your projects are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that lead to the risk of or actual harm of a child.
Save the Children's policy
Rotary International's policy

[i] U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Data Release. 2014.
[ii] https://www.savethechildren.org/content/dam/global/reports/education-and-child-protection/literacy-boost-13.pdf

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