The Big Lift

Reading opens doors to imagination, knowledge, and endless opportunities.

Through high-quality preschool programs, engaging summer learning experiences, and strong family engagement initiatives, The Big Lift nurtures a love for reading and sets our children on a path to success. Check out letsreadsmc.org to see how early literacy can support your child’s lifelong development!

Empowering our youngest readers is at the heart of our mission. From enhancing PreK-3 literacy alignment to bolstering summer learning and family engagement, our mission strategies drive impactful change for San Mateo County's youngest readers.

Discover more about The Big Lift's vision and goals in our executive summary. Visit https://www.thebiglift.org/ to learn how we're working towards improving reading proficiency rates by the end of 3rd grade across San Mateo County.

Summer learning loss is one of the biggest challenges children face while learning to read. Our communities love The Big Lift Inspiring Summers programs for rising Kindergartners to rising third-graders.

We were thrilled to have 943 students (96% of our goal!) join Inspiring Summers for a summer of fun and reading this year!

Looking ahead, by 2026, we want to see 60% of eligible rising K-3rd graders in the Big Lift’s districts enrolled in high quality summer learning programs. To learn more about how we are going to do it, review our strategic plan on our website, thebiglift.org

School attendance - it matters! But why? Research shows that school attendance is closely tied to school achievement. Studies of early elementary students have found that kindergarten absenteeism is tied to negative outcomes in first grade, including lower achievement in reading, math, and general knowledge.

Chronic absenteeism, which means missing more than 10% of school days, is a big problem in San Mateo County! Absenteeism has increased significantly since the return to school following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools, parents, and kids can all work together to make sure kids are in school and learning as much as possible. Parents, plan vacations to coincide with school holidays, and send children to school every day that they are well. It all adds up! The benefits for your student are worth it!

(Source: National Center for Education Statistics)

It’s back to school week! Here are 5 things to put into practice for making this transition easier, so that children AND parents are ready for the school year and all of the exciting learning to come.

1. Be ready on day one. ✨Talk about the upcoming school year with your child, shop for school supplies, and get belongings ready in advance. This will minimize stress for your child in the first days of school.

2. Establish a routine. ✨This should include a good bedtime routine that ensures your child gets enough sleep and a morning routine that isn’t too rushed.

3. Read aloud! ✨Reading stories before bed can be a helpful part of a calming bedtime routine Reading 20 minutes per day has a big impact on your child’s reading success. Find tips on our parent website, Let’s Read San Mateo County! https://letsreadsmc.org/

4. Attend every day. ✨School attendance is a big factor in children’s reading success. Unless your child is sick, they should attend school every day.

5. Talk to your child and their teacher. ✨Ask your child about their day. What questions did they ask? Did they read any stories? Did they write any words? Stay up to date with what they’re learning. If you have questions or concerns at any point, talk to their teacher.

Summer learning loss is one of the biggest challenges children face while learning to read. Our communities love The Big Lift Inspiring Summers programs for rising Kindergartners to third-graders.

By 2026, we want to see 60% of eligible rising K-3rd graders in the Big Lift’s districts enrolled in the summer learning programs. To learn more about how we are going to do it, review our strategic plan on our website, thebiglift.org.

When it comes to learning to read, every child is different!

Your child may make a lot of progress at once, or they might stay at the same place for a while. They may still be working on milestones from a previous grade, or be ahead in some areas.

Talk to your child's teacher about their specific needs, and explore the resources available at Let’s Read San Mateo County!

Wondering how to use the Let's Read San Mateo County site? It's simple!

Learn how reading works and discover the essential skills kids need to become confident readers. Then, explore reading milestones for kids of every age from birth to fifth grade and get tips to support your child at home. Track your child's progress and support them where they need it.

Dive in today and make reading fun and engaging for your little ones!

Are you worried about your child's reading? Don't wait to get help!

The critical window for learning to read is from kindergarten to 2nd grade, so early intervention is key. If your child has developmental delays before starting school, addressing them ASAP will set them up for success.

Explore Let's Read San Mateo County for resources and support to help your child thrive in reading!

letsreadsmc.org

We are honored to have our new website for parents, Let's Read San Mateo County, featured by Telemundo 48! Reading with young children in families' home language is so important to early language and literacy. Let's Read San Mateo County offers tips and tools to help parents help their children, in Spanish and English, and resources for when parents have concerns. Check it out today, and thank you to Telemundo!

¡Nos sentimos honrados de tener nuestro nuevo sitio de web para padres, Let's Read San Mateo County, presentado por Telemundo 48! Leer con niños pequeños en el idioma natal de las familias es muy importante para el lenguaje y la alfabetización temprana. Let's Read San Mateo County ofrece consejos y herramientas para ayudar a los padres a ayudar a sus hijos, en Español y Inglés, y recursos para si los padres tienen inquietudes, ¡Consúltelo hoy y gracias a Telemundo 48!

Condado San Mateo ofrece herramienta en español para fomentar la lectura en niños El sitio web cuenta con consejos basados ​​en investigaciones y sugerencias de expertos y organizaciones locales.

There are specific reading skills that a child needs to master in order to become a successful reader. You can help them practice those at home!

Visit Let’s Read San Mateo County to help your child sound out familiar and unfamiliar words and figure out what they mean through games, videos, and other resources.

letsreadsmc.org

When it comes to learning to read, every child is different!

Your child may make a lot of progress at once, or they might stay at the same place for a while. They may still be working on milestones from a previous grade, or be ahead in some areas.

Talk to your child's teacher about their specific needs, and explore the resources available at Let’s Read San Mateo County!

letsreadsmc.org

Read the exciting announcement about our new resource for families, via County of San Mateo - Government!

We are so excited to have a destination for families with young children who want to understand how reading works, practical ways to read with their child, resources for additional support, and more.

A New Tool Helps Families Build Reading Skills for Young Learners Whether a child is a few months old or on the way to the fifth grade, a new online tool can help families build a foundation for literacy. That tool is Let’s Read San Mateo County, a website designed to support young readers and their families.

We are excited to share our new reading resource website, Let's Read San Mateo County, with YOU!

Our mission is to help San Mateo County students read proficiently by the end of third grade, and we know that engaged families are key to this success. Let’s Read San Mateo County provides a comprehensive guide to reading and language development milestones from birth through the elementary grades.

Explore our site for information on how reading works, ways to read with children of all ages, and resources to support if a child is struggling.

Each page is packed with videos, activities, and links to make learning engaging and fun! Dive in and join us in fostering a love for reading in every home. Together, we can ensure every child has the opportunity to read proficiently by third grade!

Visit now and share with your community! letsreadsmc.org

Want to collaborate directly with other ? Our meeting on 7/25 is for across the country to discuss strategies, tools and collaborative action directly with expert leaders to !

REGISTER NOW: http://bit.ly/3S4xYo5

Attendance Works, Turn the Page STL, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Gateway Region YMCA, United Way of Central Iowa, Vision To Learn, Columbus Technical College, United Way of Southeast Mississippi, Smart Kids, Inc., United Way of Northeast Mississippi, Mississippi Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, The University of Mississippi - Ole Miss, Yuma School District One, and The Big Lift

The Big Lift is thrilled to announce the launch of our new website, Let's Read San Mateo County.

letsreadsmc.org

Huge thank you to our partners at the Oakland Literacy Coalition () for their support on this project. Every family in San Mateo County should have the resources and support they need– not only to help their child learn to read from a young age, but to make it fun for the whole family.

Explore our site for information on how reading works, ways to read with children of all ages, and resources to support if a child is struggling.

Let's Read San Mateo County Let's Read San Mateo County is a website developed to support young readers. Parents and other caregivers who spend time with students outside of school play an important role in helping them learn to read. These adults need information about what reading skills students are learning throughout the....

When kids do not practice their reading over the summer, it can lead to what's called “summer reading loss,” where children forget some of what they learned during the school year. But here's the good news: The Big Lift is on a mission to change that!

We're working hard to make sure every child gets the support they need to keep learning and growing all year round through summer reading programs. Read more about it in our strategic plan https://www.thebiglift.org/

Empowering our youngest readers is at the heart of our mission. From enhancing PreK-3 literacy alignment to bolstering summer learning and family engagement, our mission strategies drive impactful change for San Mateo County's youngest readers.

Discover more about The Big Lift's vision and goals in our executive summary. Visit https://www.thebiglift.org/ to learn how we're working towards improving reading proficiency rates by the end of 3rd grade across San Mateo County.

The science is clear: children who read well are better equipped for academic challenges, critical thinking, and emotional well-being.

Our evidence-based interventions, from high-quality preschool to inspiring summer programs, shape young brains for lifelong learning and success.

Visit https://www.thebiglift.org/ read our Strategic Plan and learn more.

In our Inspiring Summers program, an impressive 76% of students keep up with their reading levels.

As we strive for even better outcomes, we're committed to refining our approaches to ensure every child's progress is accurately tracked and supported. Visit https://www.thebiglift.org/ to see how we’re doing it!

In San Mateo County, only 58% of third-graders are reading at their grade level.

This is especially true for low-income families. Our county has one of the highest wealth disparities in the country. We can, and must, close this gap. Reading is like a superpower for our brains and helps children do well in school.

As summer gets closer, let's make sure kids keep learning so they can do great in school. Visit https://www.thebiglift.org/ to see how early literacy can help every child in San Mateo County become an awesome reader!

The Big Lift is here to listen and learn! We are hosting focus group sessions to hear directly from early learning educators and parents, those directly impacted by our services.

Their insights are invaluable as we work together to empower our county’s young readers.

Read more about our goals, and how we hope to center San Mateo County children and families as we achieve them. View our strategic plan at thebiglift.org