Children’s Literacy Initiative is a 501(c)(3) non-profit working with pre-k through 3rd grade teachers to improve early literacy instruction so that children become powerful readers, writers, and thinkers.

Our goal is to close the literacy achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers.

Two thirds of american children cannot read proficiently at the end of 3rd grade.

In low-income neighborhoods there is only 1 age appropriate book for every 300 children.

In coaching, teachers work with a master educator before, during and after a lesson, getting feedback on their implementation of a newly learned teaching skill.

Coaches & mentors are found to be highly effective in helping teachers implement a new skill.

Numerous studies have shown coaching to be successful at changing teacher practice and improving student learning.

We Coach Teachers

One-on-one and in small groups in the classroom – providing demonstrations and feedback that help teachers incorporate effective literacy practices into their daily work with students.

We Stock Classrooms

We provide curated collections of high-quality children’s literature and a variety of other learning materials important to successful literacy instruction.

We Provide Workshops & Seminars

to build teacher’s knowledge of literacy content and pedagogy. We also extend our services with online professional development resources.

  • Charity Navigator

    We’ve received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, which means we’re accountable, transparent, and financially healthy!

  • Library of Congress

    CLI was awarded the 2017 David M. Rubenstein Prize, the top honor in the Library of Congress Literacy Awards program for making an outstanding and measurable contribution to increasing literacy levels.

  • i3 Validation Grant

    CLI received the highly prestigious Dept. of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to implement its early-childhood literacy program with kindergarten through second grade teachers.

  • GuideStar

    Sound fiscal management and a commitment to accountability and transparency have earned CLI a Gold Participant rating.

  • UPenn

    UPenn’s Center for High-Impact Philanthropy identified CLI as on organization where charitable dollars can do the most good.

  • i3 Scale-Up Grant

    As the single highest rated applicant CLI was awarded its second grant from the Dept. of Education to expand its work into an additional 4 urban school districts.

Learning to read by the end of third grade is a strong predictor of a student’s future academic achievement.

A teacher’s literacy instruction plays the most critical role in a student’s reading development, but many teachers fail to receive adequate training in this area.

By helping educators learn high-impact instructional strategies and nurturing dynamic professional learning communities, CLI builds lasting capacity in teachers and principals over time.

CLI works with district partners to create sustainable organizational processes that continue the trajectory of improvement in schools. Building a teacher’s instructional expertise impacts student learning over the course of a teacher’s career.