We are cultivating an environment where all children can grow the reading skills they need to thrive.

When children have strong reading skills by third grade, they are set up for greater academic and financial success – for life.

That’s why forming a solid learning foundation in early childhood is one of the most crucial things we can do to help all children succeed. Raising Readers Nashville is a collaborative community group uniting to improve the systems and structures that support Nashville’s families and young children, cultivating an environment where all children can grow the reading skills they need to thrive.

Domains of Focus

Nashville joins many other communities nationwide in taking a systems change approach by focusing on early childhood learning, family engagement, literacy skill development, and educator support – all with the focus of helping our youngest citizens develop the reading skills they need to thrive.

• Ready to Read (0-5): Children are prepared to start learning to read (demonstrating pre-literacy skills) when they enter kindergarten.
• Literacy Skill Development: Children make progress from kindergarten to third grade, developing the literacy skills they need to thrive.
• Educator Support: Early childhood professionals have the tools, resources, and skills they need to develop children’s literacy skills.
• Family and Caregiver Engagement: Families and caregivers understand the importance of early literacy, have skills and resources to support their child, and are engaged in community efforts around early literacy.

Childcare Landscape Study

The Child Care Landscape Study, (commissioned by Raising Readers Nashville in partnership with NEEC and the PN3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt) focuses on the availability and challenges of accessing high-quality child care for families with children under age 5 in greater Davidson County, TN. Read the Childcare Landscape Study Part 2 here.