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Work for Impact

Kindergarten Ready

Ensuring that kids have the early math, literacy, and social skills for a successful start.

The research is clear – we need to invest in early education.

The first five years are critical brain-building years that shape children’s futures. Giving kids a strong early start helps set them on a path toward success in school and life.

The achievement gap between low-income children and children with financial stability is apparent by 18 months of age and continues to widen over the years. Investing in young children, especially those furthest from opportunity, offers the most significant return on our investment.

Investing in early childhood education results in stronger reading levels by third grade, increased high school graduation rates, more college-ready students, and skilled workers who possess not only the social, emotional, and cognitive skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy, but also the ability to positively contribute to society.

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In Lane County

Kids entering kindergarten

 

Kinders recognize an average of
14.2 letters
(Oregon Department of Education) (1)

 
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Studies show:

— The vast majority of children who start behind, stay behind. This leads to an increase in our nation’s dropout rate among low-income and minority students (2)

—Children from lower-income homes have limited access to books. Because of this, preschoolers from low-income families have fewer home language and literacy opportunities than preschoolers from more financially stable families (3)

—There is almost a 90% probability that a child will remain a poor reader at the end of the fourth grade if the child is a poor reader at the end of first grade (4)

 

References:

(1) Oregon Department of Education’s Kindergarten Assessment, 2019-2020

(2) America’s Early Childhood. Jumpstart, 2009 (http://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)

(3) Berk, L. E. (2009) Child Development (8th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc (http://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)

(4) Boyer, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. (http://ferstreaders.org/resources/fifty-top-literacy-statistics)

 
 

Kindergarten Ready

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