In some of the region’s poorest neighborhoods, only one in three children learns to read by the third grade. The Children’s Literacy Initiative is one of 19 organizations receiving Pew Fund support to help children develop the skills needed to succeed in school. In its early years, the Children’s Literacy Initiative was devoted to getting good books into the hands of parents and caregivers. To have greater impact, the organization began working with teachers of children from prekindergarten through third grade to improve the reading skills of their young charges.
Press Room
Children's Literacy Initiative Featured in The Pew Charitable Trusts 2011 Prospectus
April 12, 2011
Children's Literacy Initiative Featured in the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal
April 12, 2011
Founded in 1988 by Linda Katz and Pat Federman, the Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) began as a book fair for the general public. After hearing a North Philadelphia father express his desire to begin reading regularly to his four-year-old, Linda saw the need to address the literacy gap between inner-city and suburban students...
CLI Participates in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Inaugural Funders’ Network Gathering”
March 11, 2011
Last week, CLI’s Executive Director Linda Katz participated in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Inaugural Funders’ Network Gathering” for the Foundation’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
Mobilizing philanthropic leadership around moving the needle on 3rd grade reading over the next decade, the Campaign examines the challenge of ea...rly literacy from a variety of approaches and causes, hoping to encourage a cohesive set of programs and interventions that target three “core assurances”:
- Quality teaching for every child in every setting every day.
- Locally owned community solutions for improving school readiness, attendance, and summer learning.
- A rational, outcomes-accountable system of care, services, and family supports for children, from birth through third grade.
The Gathering, hosted in Washington DC, welcomed more than 200 attendees and a dynamic slate of presentations and discussions about the urgency in achieving 3rd grade reading proficiency for all children. CLI was invited to participate as an exemplary literacy program – the only invited program working on the issue of teacher quality in grades K-3.
Inquirer Article About the Effectiveness of CLI's Programs
February 28, 2011
Giving 3rd graders the reading habit
Teaching program is being tried in 10 Phila. schools.
Good teachers are developed, not identified.
By Dan Hardy
Inquirer Staff Writer
Chambersburg, PA School District Excited to set up CLI Classrooms
February 7, 2011
Students can expect a unique educational experience in specialized classrooms to be showcased in Benjamin Chambers Elementary and Stevens Elementary schools.
Newark Education Trust Chooses CLI
January 21, 2011
As one of 11 programs succeeding in Newark. "There is a great need and role for the Trust," said Caryn Henning, a regional manager for the Children's Literacy Initiative. "The Newark Public Schools district will now have a strong partner to help communicate to the community at-large which programs need and deserve support and scaling up. The Trust will also be able to provide the District access to the whole Local Education Fund Network where they can hear from other Districts, and share their own experiences, in what really works."
CLI Featured in Education Week
December 28, 2010
AVERTING A HUMAN-CAPITAL TRAIN WRECK IN EDUCATION
CLI Featured in "The Nation" Magazine
December 22, 2010
Quote: "...scaling up CLI would be an excellent use of the much-hyped $100 million five-year donation to the Newark schools from Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year-old founder of Facebook and thirty-fifth richest person in America."
CLI Presents at the Learning Forward National Conference
December 14, 2010
Children's Literacy Initiative Presented
"Teacher Pipeline: Using Model Classrooms for Clinical Practice"
at the Learning Forward National Conference (formerly known as the National Staff Development Council)
CLI Presenters:
Cameron Voss, CLI Deputy Director
Pat Federman, CLI Co-Founder/Regional Manager (West)
Bridget Pullin, CLI Content Development Manager
Stacey Dougherty, CLI Model Classroom Teacher at John B. Kelly School
Jennifer Robinson, Center of Pedagogy, Montclair State University
Some of the speakers were: Beverly Hall from Atlanta Public Schools, Douglas Reeves from The Leadership and Learning Center, Andrew Hargreaves from Boston College, Michele Norris the host of "All Things Considered" on NPR, and Thomas Kane from the Gates Foundation.
The presentation examined the successful partnership between an urban nonprofit (CLI) and two large school districts (Philadelphia, Newark) that created a system of model classrooms to help preservice teachers improve their literacy instruction and prepare for a lifelong careeer.
Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of 3rd Grade Matters
November 23, 2010
Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of 3rd Grade Matters -- A KIDS COUNT Special Report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade can be a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational development.
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