What comes to mind when you think “Kinder‐ready”? Is it that a child knows her ABCs or his primary colors? Is it that he knows how to use scissors or write her first name?
A whopping 40% of our children ‐ most of them underprivileged ‐ show up for their first day of school, and they’re already two years behind their peers developmentally. Sadly, when kids start behind, they stay behind. However, research shows that high quality early care helps a young child’s brain to develop properly, and prepares that child to succeed in school.
Whether Increasing the level of care can be as simple as helping parents understand how to use reading and conversation to help their child’s development or it can be as complicated as discovering creative ways to provide safe, enriching, and affordable child care. We believe that there are things that we, the Christian community, can help with. We cannot solely address issues that start once children enter the education system. We must also help them be ready to learn when they show up for that first day of kindergarten.
Learn more about what is happening in this area by visiting the following websites:
• United Way’s Success by Six program, http://www.unitedwaycapitalarea.org/our_work/education/sb6/
• Any Baby Can, http://www.abcaus.org/programs-services/
• E3 Alliance’s studies on Kinder‐Readiness, http://www.e3alliance.org/moreinfo.html