Early Reading Initiative

The road to literacy begins in a child's earliest years. Because early literacy is a key element of a child's development and means gaining skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, the Department of Early Learning dedicated $1.4 million in community-based literacy grants through the Early Reading Initiative (ERI). Our partner, Thrive by Five Washington, also provided funding and awarded the grants.

The grants served children whose parents speak a language other than English, who live in rural areas, or who are otherwise at risk of beginning kindergarten without the literacy skills they need to succeed. The programs receiving grants demonstrated a clear commitment to working closely with parents to increase the amount of time spent reading with their young children.

The following entities were awarded grants to participate in the ERI in 2008, the last year ERI funding was available: