Next week, Way to Grow’s Executive Director, Carolyn Smallwood, and Director of Early Education, Carrie Zelin Johnson, will travel to Atlanta to give a presentation on our home visiting model to attendees of the Beyond School Hours conference. Now in its 17th year, the Beyond School Hours conference is one of the nation’s largest and most inspiring education conferences. We’re excited to be returning for the second year in a row to present two breakout sessions.
This week, a group of our Family Educators (and a special little helper who had a free day from school due to the cold!) assembled word kits for families of third grade students.These kits are designed to help parents get their children ready for the MCA tests.
This is just one of many ways that Way to Grow brings literacy into the homes of our families. To learn more about our Elementary Education programming, please click here. Stay tuned to the Great by Eight blog for a list of our favorite books that meet state standards for reading comprehension.
Day 11 – Eleven Thousand Visits! That’s how many home visits our Family Educators and Resource Advocates conducted in 2013! Way to Grow’s home visits address all aspects of family life, health, and early education. Home visits produce positive results in developing early childhood literacy and preparing children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
To make a contribution, please click here or phone Melissa Meyer at (612) 874-4740. To learn more about our programs, please explore our website.
Day 10 – 10 out of 10 – That’s the rating we’ve given Family Educator Marie Huey for her recent guest blog post for the Twin Cities chapter of Young Education Professionals. Marie wrote poignantly about the challenges of changing ingrained practices and mindsets when it comes to teaching a young child the literacy skills he or she needs to succeed.
“Many of the houses I visit are too quiet,” Marie wrote. “Parents aren’t having enough conversations with their children.”
“I’ve observed that for many families, learning looks like sitting still in a chair,” she continued. “It sounds like memorizing and reciting facts. It means writing every word perfectly on the first try. But studies show children learn through playing, experimenting, imagining, conversing.”
To support the work that Marie and other Family Educators are doing to bring literacy and numeracy into the homes of the families we serve, click here to contribute online or phone Melissa Meyer at 612 874-4740.
Day 5 – 5 years old. The age at which most social service interventions for children begin – five years too late. Way to Grow works with kids from the time they’re born to make sure they’re healthy and have a solid education. Studies prove that if a child receives support in developing physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills before age 5, he or she is more likely to succeed late in life. But we don’t quit at age 5, either. In 2010, we extended our program to serve children up to age 8, targeting critical third grade benchmarks. Way to Grow’s K-3 participants receive routine home visits designed to aid the child’s development while helping parents learn methods to support their education.
To make a financial contribution during our 12 Days of Growing campaign, please click here or phone Melissa Meyer at (612) 874-4740. To learn more about our programs, please explore our website.
2. – Over 2,000 parents and children received high-quality home visits focused on early childhood education this year. Way to Grow’s Family Educators and Resource Advocates engage parents with their children’s education—showing them how to teach through everyday interaction and play.
During our 12 Days of Growing, we’ll share with you 12 examples of how together we have impacted families and children in our community. From home visits to health education, from Preschool Pals to parent support groups, Way to Grow provides an array of services aimed at accomplishing our mission of ensuring all children in Minneapolis have an equal opportunity to succeed.
We hope you’ll consider a making a gift to Way to Grow a part of your holiday giving. Your tax-deductible gift will continue to fund our Great by Eight initiative, which provides outcome-based, holistic, year-round, language-to-language, early education programming to the families and children we serve.
To make a contribution, please click here or phone Melissa Meyer at (612) 874-4740. To learn more about our programs, please explore our website.
1. – One person giving. You. We just need you and your generous spirit to give whatever you can to honor our 11,000 home visits in 2013 and to help us get even more kids ready for school and a healthy life in 2014.
Today marks the beginning of our 12 Days of Growing countdown. During our 12 Days of Growing, we’ll share with you 12 examples of how together we have impacted families and children in our community. From home visits to health education, from Preschool Pals to parent support groups, Way to Grow provides an array of services aimed at accomplishing our mission of ensuring all children in Minneapolis have an equal opportunity to succeed.