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*Free* resource for caregivers: strengthening early literacy skills ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Early childhood literacy is the cornerstone of educational success. Engaging children with reading activities from a young age sets them on the path to becoming confident and skilled readers. OnYourMark is here to support this mission by offering a {FREE} resource for caregivers. This resource provides easy, actionable literacy activities that caregivers can fit into their daily routines, helping to bridge the literacy gap and ensuring all children have a strong start. As district leaders, let's champion early literacy by sharing this valuable tool with our caregiver community. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our students' futures. Download the *free* resource here: https://hubs.li/Q02RhrqF0

Today is National Family Literacy Day. More at

Celebrate the Fall with National Family Literacy Month! November is National Family Literacy Month (NFLM). It is an annual event to encourage the whole family to snuggle up and read a book together. NFLM promotes reading and learning together as a family. It recognizes the importance of literacy skills in the home and how they can improve the lives of everyone in the family. A few suggestions for celebrating National Family Literacy Month includes— 1.  Set aside a little time for reading every day, 2.  Take a trip to the library, 3.  Each day, let one family member pick their favorite book to read together and share, 4.  Write a family book together to share, 5.  Read a book that has been made into a movie, and then host a Family Movie & Popcorn Night.

UHF's literacy project is helping Children's Aid Milbank Health Center take early childhood literacy help beyond the page. Read how the health center put together a new literacy-rich environment, literacy kits, library card sign-up events, and more for their young patients: https://lnkd.in/e7vr-mxJ

Maddy Butler, Campaign Director at The Parenthood, spoke to ABC Landline about our new report - Impactful. "We want to see the regions thriving and it really does start with access to early childhood education and care." The report shows shows that most parents in regional, rural, and remote areas are facing financial strain due to the lack of accessible early childhood education and care (ECEC). Many parents and carers, needing paid work amid rising living costs, are unable to work without ECEC options. This crisis is impacting not just families but whole communities, with essential workers unable to provide critical services and children starting school unprepared, missing out on key developmental benefits. Families are resorting to unsustainable solutions like long commutes, night shifts, and sacrificing career and community connections. The effects extend beyond families, impacting entire regions and, ultimately, the nation. While the Federal Government has committed to universal early learning, solutions must be tailored to local needs with meaningful community consultation. There is no one-size-fits-all fix, and federal, state, and territory governments must collaborate to ensure every region has equitable access to quality early learning services. Watch the full report on ABC Landline here: https://lnkd.in/gMVm3-3J

We invite you to join us for an insightful webinar presented by the Yizani Sifunde Consortium, featuring Book Dash, Wordworks, and Nal’ibali. This session will delve into the design, implementation, and impact of the Yizani Sifunde early literacy project, an innovative multi-partner approach aimed at enhancing early literacy outcomes in under-resourced ECD centers in the Eastern Cape. The webinar will explore findings from an external evaluation of child outcomes, highlighting significant literacy, fine motor skills, executive functioning, and numeracy improvements. The discussion will cover: • Project Design: A unique, five-year collaboration involving quality resources, structured training, and ongoing support, reaching over 3,000 children and 126 ECD practitioners.  • Impact: Evidence of substantial developmental gains for 4 and 5-year-olds, including a near-doubling of the percentage of children on track in literacy and language skills, and up to 13 months of additional learning for children at greatest risk.  • Lessons Learned: Insights into the collaborative model's effectiveness, outcomes sustainability, and abundant book access's role in promoting reading at home.    Whether you're an educator, policymaker, or advocate for early childhood development, this session will provide valuable takeaways on how multi-pronged interventions can make a lasting difference. Date: Tuesday, 22 October  Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM  Location: Online  Please RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/dx_h9QbY

In 2021, the John and Janice Wyatt Foundation provided generous funding for the creation of a learning course to promote the use of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires in Fairfax County, a tool to identify developmental delays in young children. Educators who became proficient in the use of the tool transitioned to using the questionnaires in an online format through ASQ Online. To date, nearly 6,500 online screenings have been completed in Fairfax County. See the article below for more details: https://lnkd.in/escWJKTY