Services and Resources

• Books at Home Initiative
  Books at Home is a coordinated book-giving initiative providing three avenues for receiving books. The overall goal is to provide books to build the home libraries of children and families in need in the region. Call us to learn more about how to qualify for books.
  • To be eligible, organizations must meet the following requirements:
    • Provide some type of literacy service in Greater Hartford;
    • Be an organization member of the Literacy Council; and
    • Complete a Literacy Council Book Survey annually.
    • Books must go home with children or parents to foster reading and build home libraries.
    • Books may not be permanently kept in a school, classroom, or library.
  • Three ways to receive books:
    • Literacy Council Book Distribution - Annually about 14,000 new and some gently used books (two distributions per year)
    • First Book Grants - Funds distributed at least once a year for the purchase of books
    • Must be a nonprofit organization with 501 (c) (3) status or a Title I School.
    • First Book National Book Bank - New books from a variety of publishers offered when available.
      • Must be a nonprofit organization with 501 (c) (3) status or a Title I School.
      • Must register online with the National Book Bank.
• Greater Hartford Literacy Council Website - www.greaterhartfordreads.org
  • Local, regional, statewide, and national data and statistics useful for grant writing, program planning, and other purposes.
  • Wealth of information on literacy and literacy issues provided through literacy publications, studies, and resources.
  • An up-to-date website event calendar (learn about literacy events and trainings in the region and post your event here for maximum exposure).
• Monthly E-Newsletter
  • Distributed to more than 1,000 people monthly. (Call to be added to the e-newsletter list. Become a member and you can post information in the e-newsletter.)
  • Local and national literacy news and resources, funding opportunities, announcements of conferences, trainings, and events in the region.
• Periodic Advocacy Alerts
  • Local and national updates that focus on literacy-related news and legislation (Call to be added to the alert list).
• Quarterly Luncheon Meetings
  • Networking opportunity with a wide range of people providing and/or advocating for literacy services from local non-profits, school systems, workforce systems, local and state governments, faith-based initiatives, and many more. (Call to be added to the invitation list.)
  • Updates from attendees, the Literacy Council, and a different featured speaker each quarter.

• Books at Home Initiative Requirements and Guidelines
• Greater Hartford Adult Basic Education Services Directory
• How to Conduct a Community Book Drive
• Take Action for Literacy: The Status of Literacy in Greater Hartford (Full Report)
• Take Action for Literacy: The Status of Literacy in Greater Hartford (Executive Summary)
• Take Action for Literacy: The TANF Workforce Literacy Pilot Project (Full Report)
• Take Action for Literacy: The TANF Workforce Literacy Pilot Project (Executive Summary)
• Things You Can Do To Support Literacy
• Volunteer Opportunities Guide

• Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read (A Parent Guide) by the Partnership for Reading
• La Lectura es lo Primero: Cómo Ayudar a su Hijo a Aprender a Leer (A Parent Guide) by the Partnership for Reading
• How You Can Make a Difference In Your Child's Life: Reading Tips - Infancy Through 6th Grade by Half Price Books
• Where Learning Grows (In English and Spanish) by the CT Family Literacy Initiative
• Reading Tips for Parents (In English and Spanish) by the U.S. Department of Education
• 100 Plus Books Every Young Child Should Know
• Guide to Reading: How Parents Can Help Their Children Be Ready to Read and Ready to Learn.
• A Child Becomes a Reader: Birth Through Preschool by the Partnership for Reading
• A Child Becomes a Reader: Kindergarten Through Grade 3 by the Partnership for Reading
• Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen by the U.S. Department of Education

• Reading: Putting it First, Getting it Right: For School Administrators
• Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (A Teacher's Guide - Kindergarten Through Third Grade) by the Partnership for Reading
• 2003 Top Twenty Creative Fundraisers for First Book

• Reading: The Foundation Children Need to Succeed: For Policymakers

• Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction
• A summary of Scientifically Based Research Principles: Teaching Adults to Read (2005)

• Teaching Children to Read by the National Reading Panel
• Low Health Literacy: You Can't Tell By Looking by the AMA
• A, E, I, O and You by Half Price Books for Adult Literacy and Volunteers
• Introduction to Reach Out and Read
• "What Parents Can Do…to Build Reading Skills for Children in Kindergarten and 1st Grade." Available in English and Spanish; Dev. by CT Parent Plus in Partnership with CT State Dept. of Ed.
• "Raising a Reader…with reading strategies for children in 2nd and 3rd grades." Available In English and Spanish; Dev. by CT Parent Plus in Partnership with CT State Dept. of Ed.

• "Reading. It Takes You Places" (available in three different designs)

• Some Words Are Crucial. Imagine If You Couldn't Read Them.

• Lexia Learning Systems builds software to help children and adults learn to read. Lexia offers a promising and comprehensive package of software tools that has been found to be effective with a variety of populations. Their scientific research based software is intended for the assessment and development of basic reading skills of children and adults with learning disabilities. The Literacy Council is an official preview center for Lexia Learning Systems software. Interested providers can sign up to review the software at the Literacy Council office on any day during business hours.