Much has been written lately about the achievement gap that exists between low-income children and their more advantaged classmates. Hillary Clinton blogs about the ‘Word Gap’; the NY Times and the Boston Globe write about the ‘Language Gap’; and, perhaps with the most striking title of all, Nick Kristoff asks, “Do We Invest in Preschools or Prisons?” What’s different about these articles is that in each piece, the author specifically calls out the critical role of parents in reversing this trend and makes the case for enhanced support and educational opportunities so they can do so. I agree! All parents have dreams for their children and all parents have the capacity to support their children’s learning.
Raising A Reader is a family engagement program that has been on the front line of these efforts for 15 years. In addition to our rotating red book bags, we provide easily accessible, multi-lingual parent education that raises parental awareness of the crucial role they play in supporting their children’s future success, starting from birth. This is significant, as a major new study from Stanford University has noted that the achievement gap is first evident at 18 months, and once these children enter school, the gap continues to widen, making it extremely difficult to undo. Raising A Reader partners with centers of early and adult education, faith-based and other community programs where we teach simple strategies that help parents, many of whom were raised in low-literacy households, develop, practice, and maintain the habit of sharing books with their young children.
I hope you will take a few minutes to read the articles copied below and join us in our efforts to give all children – and their parents – a chance to succeed. Time is of the essence here – we cannot afford to wait.
Language-Gap Study Bolsters a Push for Pre-K – New York Times
Understanding the Language Gap – The Boston Globe
Do We Invest in Preschools or Prisons – New York Times
Access to Preschool Won’t End the Literacy Problem in America – US News and World Report
