Since its launch in April 2022, Books Beginning at Birth (B3) has been making a profound impact on early literacy by providing free books, digital resources, and family reading support to thousands of families across Texas. By empowering parents and caregivers with the tools to build strong reading habits from birth, B3 has played a key role in supporting literacy development for over 100,000 children and expanding access to high-quality books and educational content.
Now, nearly three years into the program, we are proud to share some of our most significant milestones and successes—and to thank the dedicated families, educators, and community partners who have helped make it all possible.
Expanding Book Access: Over 105,000 Children Served
At the heart of B3 is the belief that every child deserves access to books at home. Since 2022, we have distributed over 331,400 print books to families through home delivery and community partnerships, far exceeding our initial goal.
- 105,688 children have now received print books—132% of our original goal of 80,000.
- Each month, we continue to enroll approximately 300 new children in our at-home book delivery program, sustaining services for 20,000 children annually.
- While demand remains high and there is a growing waitlist, we are committed to expanding access and ensuring that as many eligible families as possible receive books.
In January 2025, B3 will be accepting applications for additional print book distributions, with a focus on reaching new communities that have not yet benefited from our program.
Empowering Families Through Digital Learning
Beyond physical books, B3 has become a leader in providing free, easy-to-access digital literacy resources for parents and children. Families do not need to be enrolled in the print book program to use these materials—they are available to everyone, without a login or password, and can be downloaded for offline access.
Our weekly e-newsletter, now reaching over 18,000 families, provides:
- Free digital books
- Fun, at-home learning activities
- Reading tips to help parents engage with their children
With over 687,000 newsletter views, families spend an average of six minutes reading each issue, demonstrating a strong engagement with the content.
For those looking for books on the go, the B3 Book App has proven to be a valuable tool:
- Over 49,000 downloads to date
- Families spend an average of 15 minutes per book, significantly extending reading time outside of structured learning settings
In total, families have accessed over 1 million digital literacy resources through B3’s website, digital books, videos, newsletters, and events.
A Proven Impact on Early Literacy
B3 isn’t just delivering books—we’re seeing measurable improvements in children’s language development as a result of increased parent-child reading time.
- After receiving books, oral language skills among participating four-year-olds increased by 10.1%, based on our latest evaluations.
- Parents are engaging in more literacy-building activities such as:
- Asking their children questions while reading
- Encouraging them to repeat and use new words
- Making connections between books and real-life experiences
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By supporting positive literacy habits at home, B3 ensures that young children enter school better prepared to learn, with stronger vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Thank You to Our Community Partners
The success of B3 is only possible with the help of our partners—including childcare providers, WIC clinics, Head Start centers, and elementary schools—who have played a vital role in spreading the word and enrolling families.
As we continue to grow, we encourage partners to:
- Share our free digital resources with the families they serve
- Encourage sign-ups for the weekly e-newsletter: https://b3tx.org/newsletters/
- Promote the B3 Book App for on-the-go reading: https://b3tx.org/digital-books-resources/
Together, we are ensuring that every child in Texas has access to books and the tools to develop a lifelong love of reading.
What’s Next? Keep Reading with B3!
With continued support, we look forward to serving even more families in the years ahead. Here’s how you can stay involved:
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter: https://b3tx.org/newsletters/
Explore our free digital books and learning resources: https://b3tx.org/digital-books-resources/
Follow us on social media and help us spread the word about early literacy!Thank you for being part of this journey—we can’t wait to see what’s next!
The Books Beginning at Birth Team