No one plays a more instrumental role in preparing a youngster for school than the child’s family. Understanding this, Ready to Learn Providence has always devoted considerable effort to engaging parents and other family members in programs that support their role in the physical, social and cognitive growth of their young children.
In 2007 R2LP launched Ready Families, a communitywide initiative designed to help families increase the school readiness of their children through a wide range of programs and trainings. Ready Families integrates and coordinates the efforts of two earlier R2LP initiatives – Transition to Kindergarten and Family Engagement – as well as the family outreach work that takes place within R2LP’s federally-funded professional development programs.
A Ready Families committee, which meets bimonthly, includes parents of young children, family home-care providers, center-based educators and early-care advocates, as well as representatives from the Providence Public School Department, the Providence Public Library, the Making Connections Providence Leadership Institute, state and local health organizations, and nonprofit organizations in the area that focus on children.
Ready Families is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Making Connections Providence.
For more information, or to participate in the Ready Families initiative, please call Stanley Kuziel or Nina Neurell at (401) 490-9960.
Here’s a peek at some recent activities.
- This spring Ready Families is offering a five-session program at the Knight Memorial Library titled Fun Family Activities for Preschoolers (3 to 5 year olds). Parents at these sessions are learning dozens of activities they can do at home to increase the school readiness of their children. The activities support the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards, which serve as guidelines for what a child should be able to do before entering kindergarten. This program will be offered again (in both English and Spanish) this fall.
- Ready Families plays a large role in promoting the PPSD’s kindergarten registration efforts and its Open Schools Week. School officials have said that thanks to the involvement of R2LP, far more parents are now registering their children earlier and on time, which makes the transition in the fall much smoother for the schools and, more importantly, the children.
- Ready Families is spearheading efforts to increase the use of the Child Information Sheet developed last year by the Transition to Kindergarten Committee. Early-care educators and providers are asked to complete these forms for children in their care who will be entering kindergarten in the fall. Based on the Early Learning Standards, the forms provide kindergarten teachers with valuable information on a child’s abilities and skills. They also give parents a clearer understanding of their child’s school readiness.
- On April 6, Ready Families and members of R2LP’s Early Reading First staff teamed up with the Providence Public Library to host a hugely successful event focused on early literacy at the Providence Central Library. Over 200 children and parents enjoyed a range of activities designed to increase an interest in books and library use. Featured presenters included Josephina Calendar, a professional storyteller who offered her sessions in English and Spanish, and representatives of the Rain Forest Reptile Shows, an organization that educates children about the natural world.
