In "Home visiting programs are preschool in its earliest form," The Washington Post describes a program where expectant mothers and the parents of young children get visits from counselors who are trained to guide young, low-income families so their children don't fall behind once they start school.
A reporter followed a member of the Happy Families staff and spoke with some of the parents that she assists. Here are some of the ways that one counselor encourages parents to plant the seeds of literacy early:
- Providing a book and advising a pregnant woman to read to her baby while it is still in the womb. The mother was skeptical, but the counselor told her this is the beginning of learning to read.
- Modeling for parents how they can get very young children interested in books by demonstrating books and reading.
- Using paper and non-toxic crayons to put together books at home. (the counselor gets a mother who speaks more than one language to make books with animal names and pictures in both languages.)
These are the kinds of things you can do to prepare even the youngest child to embrace reading. There is no need to wait until school starts to introduce vocabulary and the concept of reading. In fact, children who have been engaging in “pre-reading” activities are usually much more prepared to begin reading that those who have never been introduced to reading.
And if you or someone you know in the Lorain County area qualifies for Head Start, consider Horizon Education Centers. Our program prepares low-income children socially and academically for Kindergarten
We are also offering a promotion for our Toddler Care program, in which our highly qualified Toddler staff works to guide your toddler into the wonderful world of language, by using sounds, songs, gestures, and words. Please contact us to learn more.
