Reading Solutions – January 2018

Las Crucens are dedicating themselves to creating better educational outcomes for all of our children.  In 2018 I look forward to sharing information about what local organizations are doing and suggesting ways that you can become involved. The Early Childhood Education Coalition is one component of the Success Partnership sponsored by Ngage NM coordinating support from cradle to career.

Ready for Kindergarten?

It is Hector’s first day of kindergarten. He is uncertain about starting school and his day can go well or badly.  He may eagerly join in activities without confusion or he might not be able to follow the teacher’s directions. When everyone is seated on the floor for story time, he may wander around the room or he could eagerly contribute to a conversation about the book. When his classmates are writing their names with crayons, he may join them or he could just eat his crayon.

We, all of us, can write Hector’s story either way. With the support of our whole community and the leadership of the Success Partnership we are already creating supportive networks for Hector and all of our children. Hector can start school ready to enjoy playing games with numbers and singing the alphabet song, anxious to explore all those new books.  Will Hector feel like a failure on day one or be energized to absorb the happy opportunities that await him at school?

The outcome of Hector’s story hinges on the different experiences he has during his first five years of life. That means his parents need to know some fundamental facts. Fact One: Education begins long before the first day of school.  All of the brain’s neural connections for an entire lifetime of learning are in place by the age of five. Fact Two: The foundation for all learning comes from experiences during the first five years of life. That is the secret for success at school. Fact Three: Parents are their children’s first and best teachers and make the biggest difference in their child’s life by talking, playing and reading together from the time they are born.

All over the world, educational expectations have increased. In Dona Ana County teachers are working hard to help our children achieve the high standards set by New Mexico’s Public Education Department. Our teachers and our parents need the support of the whole community.

Children’s Reading Alliance is proud to be a key player in the Early Childhood Education Coalition and the Success Partnership. We created First Teacher/Primer Maestro classes for parents to learn how to make the most of their time with their little ones. I will never forget the gratitude of one participant. Lupe speaks Spanish only and never learned to read. She is raising her children and grandchildren. At her first Primer Maestro class her instructor taught her how to talk about the pictures and ask questions to engage her children in conversation about the story. Lupe’s eyes filled with tears because she never realized that she was capable of doing something to help her children learn to read. At each class parents practice new skills with each other before they go home and then share their experiences the next week. Together they are learning to raise readers through talk, play and family reading time.

This is just one way the Early Childhood Education Coalition www.earlychildhooddac.org focuses on supporting mothers and children.  The coalition is made up of a great variety of early childhood educators offering support services to families during the formative early years. Their work is part of a larger community-strong effort called The SUCCESS Partnership which is comprised of parents, education professionals, nonprofit organizations, businesses, regional partners and community leaders. Over 100 cross-sector organizations collaborate to achieve improved outcomes in education from prenatal to career readiness. There are many ways to participate in improving educational outcomes for all of our children. Your skills are needed. Find out more at www.SUCCESSdac.org  or contact Lynda Garcia by email  lynda.garcia@ uwswnm.org or phone: 521-1957

Rorie Measure is the president of the Children’s Reading Alliance, a grassroots citizen-led initiative to encourage family literacy across Dona Ana County. Measure is a reader, writer, teacher, reading specialist and literacy trainer. She can be reached at rmeasure@gmail.com

To learn more about Children’s Reading Alliance visit www.childrensreadingalliance.org