Early Childhood Reading Resources
Reading Programs and Partnerships
Shop for Books
Find a range of stories to interest any young reader.
Statistics show that children who don’t learn to read by age nine may never catch up. Target provides resources, tools and inspiration to encourage adults to foster a love of reading early in a child’s life and reinforce the importance of reading as a foundation for lifelong learning. Key partnerships and programs include:
Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read is a national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy. It provides books for doctors and nurses to give to their patients, putting books in children’s hands at every well-child checkup.
Research shows that when you share books with babies, toddlers, and young children, their language development blossoms. Reach Out and Read helps parents and children connect and develop skills that will make a real difference for years to come.
United Through Reading
A program that connects military families through reading. A deployed parent is recorded via DVD reading a children’s book, and the DVD is mailed to the child. Our support has allowed this program to expand to all branches of the military.
Read Across America
Target partners with the National Education Association to support the Read Across America program. Every March, all Target stores nationwide host in-store events that include readings by volunteers and local notables, and fun reading activities and giveaways.
Early Childhood Reading Grants
Reading grants are awarded to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations, supporting programs such as weekend book clubs and after-school reading programs that foster a love of reading and encourage children, from birth through age 9, to read together with their families.