Starting Strong partners with many organizations in Portland. Our programs are designed to help organizations have a collective impact on the community we live and work in, whether on a daily basis with Reading Partners, or in supporting a six month literacy campaign such as Talking is Teaching. Specializing in literacy and early childhood development, Starting Strong values the importance of books being available and read to children on a regular basis. A proven element of success upon entering school, children who are supported by literacy rich environments before age four are more likely to know the alphabet, spell their name and phonetically recognize words. In families that are living in poverty, books are not as accessible. Starting Strong works closely with partners and organizations to help in supplying books, but it would be safe to say that Starting Strong cannot reach all who could benefit from more books in their household. Thanks to a great article by writer Adizah Eghan and the support of GreatSchools.org, here are 7 ways to boost your child’s literacy without a book in sight.