> Promoting Literacy in the Granite State

This collection of links and resources includes programs specific to New Hampshire and organizations with a broader focus that includes our state. You might also want to check out our Adult Basic Education Bibliography. If you know of Granite State literacy programs or resources that we should consider for inclusion in this list please email us.

ALA Office for Literacy & Outreach Services

The American Library Association's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) serves the Association by identifying and promoting library services that support equitable access to the knowledge and information stored in our libraries. OLOS focuses attention on services that are inclusive of traditionally underserved populations, including new and non-readers. BuildLiteracy is ALA's online resource for libraries offering adult literacy services. The website features information related to literacy at ALA, literacy in libraries across America, and community-based literacy programs.

The Believe in Books Literacy Foundation

A family initiative that provides parents of children ages 3-7 with bookbags on loan. The bookbags, filled with high quality children's books, are distributed through public schools, public libraries, and preschools in the Mount Washington Valley.

Children's Literacy Foundation/CliF

A nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing a love of reading and writing among children throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. CLiF supports children's literacy by awarding sponsorships to rural public libraries, homeless shelters, women's shelters, centers for at-risk youth, and bookmobiles that serve children who have limited access to great books. CLiF also works with well-known children's authors and illustrators who spread their love of books by giving free presentations to children in rural communities.

Connections

Connections brings facilitated book discussion series to over 500 participants in adult learning centers across the state each year. The Connections approach integrates discussions of universal themes found in high-quality children’s through adult literature such as family relationships, heroism, journeys, and freedom with art, music, cooking and other activities. The program reaches new immigrants and refugees, native speakers in basic education and high school equivalency classes, incarcerated parents in NH’s state prisons and adults with developmental disabilities. Participants keep their books to build home libraries and share with family and friends. Connections provides professional development for discussion facilitators, teachers and tutors with workshops, online resources and modeling of instructional methods.

Council for the Advancement of Adult Literacy

The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) is a national public charity dedicated to developing adult education, ESL, and workforce skills in America. CAAL operates a varied program of cutting-edge research, policy and issue analysis, symposia, planning, and leadership development activities. It strives to bring about change that will inform understanding, dialogue, and action – and that will help move individual Americans and the nation toward a better future

Granite State Reads

Granite State Reads is a program of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library, with funds collected by Verizon through its "Check Into Literacy" program. The Park Street Foundation is the fiscal agent for Granite State Reads which offers financial support to New Hampshire organizations providing literacy assistance to New Hampshire residents through an annual grant program. Any project that improves the literacy skills of New Hampshire children or adults is eligible for a Granite State Reads grant.

International Reading Association

Since 1956, IRA has been a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. More than 70,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Our members promote high levels of literacy for all by: improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, amd encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

Learn to Read

Learn To Read (LTR), launched in 1992, housed at the Manchester City Library, and accredited by ProLiteracy America, has distinguished itself as a valuable community resource in the Manchester, NH region. It is a non-profit organization that matches adult volunteer tutors with adult English literacy learners in the art of improving reading skills to attain the realistic goals that the learner identifies they want to achieve. LTR’s goal is to stabilize the quality of life for adults who wish to improve their literacy skills for the purpose of being better able to support themselves and to care for their families.

National Assessment of Adult Literacy

The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy is a nationally representative assessment of English literacy among American adults age 16 and older. Sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, NAAL is the nation’s most comprehensive measure of adult literacy since the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey.

National Center for Family Literacy

The mission of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is to create educational and economic opportunity for the most at-risk children and parents. NCFL's services include professional development for practitioners who work in children's education, adult education, English as a Second Language, and related literacy fields; model program development through our many ground-breaking initiatives; policy and advocacy support to sustain and expand literacy services for families; and the Family Literacy Alliance, a membership program.

National Coalition for Literacy

The mission of the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) is to advance adult education, family literacy, and English language acquisition in the U.S. by increasing public awareness for the need to increase funding and programs; promoting effective public policy; and serving as an authoritative resource for the field on national adult education issues.

National Institute for Literacy

The National Institute for Literacy's activities to strengthen literacy across the lifespan are authorized by the U.S. Congress under two laws, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) in the Workforce Investment Act and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The AEFLA directs the Institute to provide national leadership regarding literacy, coordinate literacy services and policy, and serve as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs.

New England Literacy Resource Center

The mission of the New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) is to strengthen adult literacy services in New England through sharing and collaborative special projects among State Literacy Resource Centers (SLRC) or their equivalents, adult literacy practitioners and policy-makers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Education

The Bureau of Adult Education provides grants to school districts and private not-for-profit organizations for the purposes of offering educational services to adults who have not received a high school diploma or GED certificate, or do not read, write, or speak English. With funds provided by the Bureau of Adult Education, local communities provide services to adults whose skills range from very basic to high school level. Each New Hampshire county has an Adult Tutorial Program which provides one-on-one tutoring with trained volunteers for any student who meets the eligibility criteria.

ProLiteracy Worldwide

ProLiteracy Worldwide is a nonprofit international literacy organization based in Syracuse, NY, that was formed by the 2002 merger of Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. ProLiteracy Worldwide is now the oldest and largest nongovernmental literacy organization in the world and pursues a mission of sponsoring educational programs that help adults and their families acquire the literacy practices and skills they need to function more effectively in their daily lives.

Ready to Learn

A PBS service created especially for families and child care providers which helps those who care for young children encourage a child's natural curiosity and love of learning. Ready to Learn combines quality television with community outreach and innovative educational materials and includes free community workshops and resources. Provided in New Hampshire by The Knowledge Network, New Hampshire Public Television.

Rockingham Community Action Programs

Programs designed to address a wide spectrum of needs for low-moderate income individuals, including a Family Literacy Project, the Gift of Reading, the Portsmouth Adult Basic Education Program, Reading is Fundamental, and Tales to Go.

Start with the Arts

Start with the Arts™ is an instructional resource that uniquely combines literacy, family involvement, and strategies for teaching the arts—visual arts, drama, dance and movement, and music.

Strafford County Head Start

Strafford County Head Start is part of Strafford County Community Action Committee and sponsors two reading programs. Book Buddies identifies individuals who sponsor children in the Head Start program through the purchase of books. Traveling Tales brings lively, age-appropriate literacy activities and resources to various locations in Strafford County on a daily basis. Contact Linda Gianotti (Book Buddies) and Brenda Iorio (Traveling Tales), 603-755-3108.