
CAMPAIGN FOR GRADE-LEVEL READING
Currently in Wyoming Valley only 36% of our third graders are reading on grade level. United Way of Wyoming Valley has taken a big step toward improving student success in our area by joining the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), a nationwide movement to increase early reading proficiency.
Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and success later in life because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” National tests show that two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders (four-fifths of whom are from low-income families) are not reading proficiently. Students who have not mastered reading by that time are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives.
Making an Impact In Our Community
The United Way's plan focuses on addressing underlying challenges that can keep young children, especially those in low-income families, from learning to read proficiently:
School Readiness
Too many child are entering kindergarten already behind
School Attendance
Too many young children are missing too many days of school
Summer Learning
Too many children are losing ground academically over the summer
Membership in the GLR Community
Membership in the GLR Communities Network gives United Way of Wyoming Valley and the Wyoming Valley area access to experts focused on early literacy, assistance in addressing the challenges that keep many children from learning to read, and opportunities to share and learn best practices from communities across the country.
About the Campaign for GLR
Launched in May 2010, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that many more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Since its launch, the campaign as grown to include more than 285 communities, representing 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 2,100 local organizations (including 130 United Ways and 250 state and local funders.) To learn more, visit gradelevelreading.net and follow the movement on Twitter @readingby3rd.
REAL MEN READ MENtor reading to kindergarten students.
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Community Solutions Action Plan (CSAP)
Goal One (school readiness)
Increase the number of Wyoming Valley children enrolled in high quality child care/early learning programs and home visitation programsGoal Two (school readiness)
Increase the number of books available to Wyoming Valley children and their familiesGoal Three (school readiness)
Create and/or increase access to oral health and developmental screenings for young childrenGoal Four (school readiness)
Increase communication between early care providers and school districtsGoal Five (summer learning)
Increase the availability of high-quality summer learning opportunities designed to avoid the summer slide for at-rish Wyoming Valley childrenGoal Six (attendance)
Create an attendance awareness campaign to promote the importance of good attendance to reduce student absencesPrograms Supporting Our Goals
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Dolly Parton Imagination Library program will help you read with your child. There are many reasons parents do not read to their child, but we can eliminate one of them. Every child will have books of their very own, at no cost to you, thanks to United Way of Wyoming Valley. All families in the Wyoming Valley with preschool children (from birth to the child's 5th birthday) are eligible to enroll in the program; however, through strategic community partners and an intentional outreach and marketing plan, at-risk families will be a focus of the effort..
To learn more about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program please contact Ashley Winslow at awinslow@unitedwaywb.org or visit our webpage.
REAL MEN READ (currently on hiatus)
REAL MEN READ is a volunteer reading program that brings in MENtors from the Wyoming Valley community to read to kindergarten students for one hour each month to help foster early literacy.
The purpose of the REAL MEN READ program is to
- encourage and improve literacy skills of our students
- show students that real men value education
- provide MENtoring opportunities for students
- demonstrate the importance of community partnerships
The benefits to the REAL MEN READ program are
- students receive extra attention and positive role models who value education
- boys and girls see MENtors modeling the importance of reading
- each student receives his/her own book to build their own home library so learning can go beyond the classroom
To learn more about the REAL MEN READ program please contact Ashley Winslow at awinslow@unitedwaywb.org.Resources and Links
National Campaign for Grade Level Reading Website: http://gradelevelreading.net/
Attendance Works Website: http://attendanceworks.org/
Dolly Parton Imagination Library Website: http://unitedwaywb.org/dolly.php
REAL MEN READ Website: http://unitedwaywb.org/real_men_read.php
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