Parents

Before children even begin kindergarten, they must develop many critical language and thinking skills that will pave the way and make possible later academic learning. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2002, most children spend more time with their parents and less time in preschools or childcare centers. Once children enter kindergarten, however, they differ greatly in achieving important developmental goals. These early differences continue throughout a child’s school experience and either limit or greatly expand learning success. (Developing Early Literacy, Report of the National Early Literacy Panel, 2008)

Because parents are the first teachers and continually seek to provide their children with quality literacy preparation in the early years, the Alabama Reading Initiative, along with other state agencies dedicated to supporting early childhood education, is committed to providing parents with the most current information, resources, and best practices that would greatly benefit young children’s literacy development.