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Literacy & School Readiness

    Results: 4

  • Early Head Start (4)
    HD-1800.1800

    Early Head Start

    HD-1800.1800

    A federally-funded child development and family support program that provides early education, health, mental health, nutrition and social services for low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth to age three. Services provided directly or through referral may include prenatal education and parenting classes for pregnant women; child development information; parent/child activities; a home visiting program for families with newborns; early education services in a variety of settings; comprehensive health and mental health services including smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment; coordination with organizations providing early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities; assistance in obtaining income support, housing or emergency cash; and transportation to program services.
  • Early Literacy Development Programs (4)
    HH-4500.1800

    Early Literacy Development Programs

    HH-4500.1800

    Programs that promote pre-literacy and language development skills in children from birth to age five with the objective of preparing them to read. Program activities are both educational and social and focus on helping participants develop oral language skills, expand their vocabulary, develop the concept of a word, have exposure to printed words and connect them to stories, develop phonological and phoneme awareness (sounds associated with letters and words), and recognize letters of the alphabet and connect them to words. Specific activities that promote early literacy development include reading aloud, summarizing stories read, conversations and dialogue, learning new words, exposure to books, rhyming and singing, imitating sounds, identifying syllables, writing and naming letters, attaching sounds to letters, and recognizing words. Counting and elementary math may also be incorporated. Programs may be formal or informal, and may include parent participation. Classes are often held at schools, churches, libraries and community recreation centers.
  • Family Literacy Programs (3)
    HH-4500.2000

    Family Literacy Programs

    HH-4500.2000

    Programs offered by libraries, local literacy councils and other organizations that provide reading, writing and mathematics instruction which targets both parents and children. Included are Even Start programs, federally-funded intergenerational literacy programs for low-income families with children age eight or younger which integrate early childhood education, adult basic education/literacy programs, ESL, GED, and parenting education with the objective of breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and providing both adults and children with essential life skills. The programs build on existing resources; focus on family/parent literacy, parenting skills and child development; and combine the efforts of a variety of local organizations including Head Start programs, libraries, literacy councils, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education and other public and nonprofit entities. Support services may include transportation, child care, nutrition assistance, meals, health care and referrals for employment services, mental health services, substance abuse and other identified needs.
  • School Readiness Programs (2)
    HD-1800.8000

    School Readiness Programs

    HD-1800.8000

    Programs sponsored by states, local municipalities or local nonprofits that prepare children, usually age three to five, to succeed in school. The programs are modeled on Head Start/Better Beginnings/Brighter Futures programs and are compensatory in nature targeting children from low income families or those who have or are at risk for a disability and who may have special needs. Services may include comprehensive development screenings, active learning, parent education programs, family activities, early literacy exercises, home visits and healthy snacks during the school day. In some instances, the programs are entirely home-based and focus on providing materials, instruction and support that enable the parent to prepare their child for entering school. Occasionally, the programs refer to short acclimatization sessions to make new pupils familiar with the school and classroom environment before the formal start of the school year. Some programs offer text messaging as a way to encourage parent participation in early education activities.