From birth, babies need to live in a language rich environment in order to make necessary cognitive connections. Unfortunately, there is a documented 30 million “word gap” between children entering kindergarten who have been spoken to, read to and engaged and their less prepared peers. Some children are behind in school before the first day of school. Parents need to fill the gap.
We hope to bring the joy of reading, books, and learning into adults’ lives. Only then will they have the genuine experience and confidence to provide that excitement to their child.
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Absentee rates due to illness are highest among children living in poverty, who are more likely to have asthma and other chronic diseases that keep them home from school. That means the most vulnerable of children need the best informed parents in order to manage their medication and provide chronic care.
We will provide comprehensive, health literate information to help parents manage their child’s health; clarifiy the confusing agendas of health and social service agencies; and, give parents tools, strategies and a chance to hear from and meet other parents for support.
When parents read...
their child succeeds
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THE TWO GENERATION WAY TO HELP FAMILIES GET OUT OF POVERTY AND ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
By 3rd grade, teachers can look at a child’s reading scores and accurately predict if that 9 year old will graduate from high school Every year, 80% of low-income children miss the mark. Teachers, schools and programs can help – but they can’t do it alone. Children learn what they live. Repeated studies show that the amount of time parents spend reading with their children, the number of children’s books in the home, and a parent’s engagement and encouragement in learning is crucial to closing the gap.
Parents who are confident learners understand the power of reading and talking to their children , and the strategies for sparking that desire (and discipline) in their child’s life.
African American children:
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in nursery school receive stronger reprimands with harsher consequences than their white classmates exhibiting the same behavior.
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are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than white students when exhibiting the same behavior.
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are perceived by their teachers as having less academic potential, putting in less effort, and having more behavior problems than their white classmates.
Until teachers and systems uncover hidden bias and make a change, parents must serve as their child’s supporter and ally. Parents need the hard facts, and concrete strategies, so they can advocate for their child.
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