Who We Are
Children’s Literacy Initiative is . . .
An advocate for effective literacy instruction
CLI offers professional development for pre-kindergarten through third grade teachers across the country. We provide coaching and seminars, lesson plans, a pre-kindergarten curriculum, and collections of high-quality children’s literature.
Our programs promote research-based methods for teaching reading and writing. Classroom by classroom, we strive to improve teachers’ content knowledge, instructional practices, and classroom environments. Teachers report raised expectations for their own instruction and for student achievement.
A proven partner
Independent research studies have demonstrated that CLI interventions are successful in improving children’s early literacy skills. Our programs are rooted in the most current studies on best practices and our own experience in hundreds of classrooms in high-poverty communities. We help teachers not only increase children’s scores on standardized tests, but also introduce their students to the joy of reading and writing.
A nonprofit organization
A nation-wide review by The Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania identified CLI as an exemplar agent in improving quality early literacy instruction and a charity where invested dollars could do the most good.
Four key strengths set CLI apart:
- Our results are externally evaluated.
- Our programs are evidence based.
- Our approach is cost effective.
- Our training leverages public investments already made in teachers and classrooms.
