Reading to and/or writing with your child is a special experience. Not only are you building foundational skills for later success in school, but you are creating a bond with each other and also with books. When you create positive feelings and memories around reading, you help shape your child’s impression and relationship with books.

It’s never too late or too early to start reading with your child. There are many resources available through Nashville Public Library and other organizations to assist you on your family literacy journey. Take a look!

Read to Rise

Read to Rise is an initiative that encourages you to track your reading to your little ones to ensure they’re best prepared to start school. It’s important that daily reading becomes a habit so for each day you read, you mark a spot on the reading log or log it on the computer. When you’ve read for 90 cumulative days, you come into any Nashville Public Library branch and receive a prize! Prizes include a growth chart, a color changing cup, or a free book, just to name a few.

NPL Universe

Nashville Public Library currently offers virtual programs during our limited services due to COVID-19. You can find live story times with your favorite librarians, puppet shows with Wishing Chair Productions, art and music classes with Studio NPL, and more to tune into as a family and enjoy.

NPL Children's Page

Nashville Public Library has a specific page on our site dedicated to all things Children’s-related. Here you can find curated lists based on genre, age, and even reading ability, for those just starting out and building their skills. We also have lists highlighting books that portray racial, cultural, gender, sexual, and ability diversity.

Ready Rosie

Ready Rosie is an early education tool featuring hundreds of brief videos in English and Spanish that model learning activities for kids and caretakers. These provide great ways to incorporate literacy into everyday activities, like visiting the grocery store or taking a walk.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income. Books arrive every month and are tailored to your child’s age. This is a great program to build a home library and instill a love of reading in your little one. Audio and braille titles are also available for eligible families.

Colorín Colorado

Colorín Colorado is a bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners. It has wonderful resources for families who speak English as a second language and are looking for tips on helping their child learn to read. You can also find other reading tips, booklists, and more literacy resources to help your child succeed.