Launched in 2012, The Big Lift is a collective impact initiative extending from preschool to third grade that aims to boost children's reading proficiency in San Mateo County, California, through four different types of activities, called "pillars": (1) High-Quality Preschool, (2) Summer Learning, (3) School Attendance, and (4) Family…

The Big Lift™ (Big Lift) is a preschool-third-grade collective impact initiative in San Mateo County, California. The initiative is a partnership of the County of San Mateo, San Mateo County Office of Education, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to boost children's reading proficiency by third grade…

This innovative and practical kit, put together by two well-known specialists in the field of early literacy, contains everything storytime presenters for children from birth to age five and their parents or caregivers need to spread the word about school readiness skills to adult caregivers. The kit includes: (1) An accessible handbook with a…

Few studies have examined the link between children's early school achievement and parents' at-home practices exclusively among Latino groups. This study examined the relation between Latina mothers' reported at-home practices regarding school preparation and their children's literacy skills. Participants included 56 kindergarten children and…

Help young students master concepts of print, phonemic awareness, and alphabet knowledge--the key predictors of early literacy success and school readiness. This resource will show what children need to know about print in order to become successful readers, how to connect children's development with learning about print, and how to provide a…

Besides a change in the expectations of parents, other shifts are occurring in society that impact the youngest children (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns, 2000): (1) More women are in the workforce than ever before, which means more children are in child care or preschool; (2) There is increasing evidence of, and conviction from educators, that preschool…

This bulletin is concerned with how children learn to read. It describes as simply as possible the teacher's part in the reading experiences children have, and the ways parents can help in making the learning-to-read years of the child's life both happy and successful. Learning to read is not limited to the first grade. During each year a child…

Asserting that children who are exposed to a rich variety of literary experiences at home are far more likely to enter school ready to learn than those not exposed, this booklet for parents and caregivers discusses 10 guidelines to help them promote literacy in young children. The guidelines are: (1) talk and sing with your child; (2) read to your…

Based on the view that the parent is a child's first and most important teacher, this book shows parents how to stimulate and encourage learning in reading and writing, language and communication, thinking and reasoning, plus promote good social and emotional behaviors and improve gross and fine motor skills. Part 1 of the book describes child…

Suggesting that very young children spend every waking minute getting ready for kindergarten, this videotape for caregivers and early childhood teachers shows how to support early literacy skill development by sharing stories, relationships, and books with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in care and education settings. The 25-minute videotape…

Parents and teachers may often have wondered how preschoolers learn, or why certain things, events, or people are more interesting to them than others? This book provides information on how young children learn, and offers activities to encourage emerging literacy, promote creativity and imagination, and enhance knowledge and development in music,…