Podcasts about grade level reading

In a recent discussion on the Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomed notable guests Andy Gail from United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley's CEO, and Matt Peterson, the Executive Director for the John and Janice Wyatt Foundation. The conversation revolved around innovative efforts and collaborations aimed at improving early childhood education through the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley was recently named to manage the program. The John and Janice Wyatt Foundation, established in 2019, has been passionately involved in supporting early childhood education. Matt Peterson shared that the foundation initially focused on providing grants in specific communities to back early childhood outreach, quality, and access. However, it quickly became evident that impacting the educational system required more than just targeted grants; it needed a community-wide effort. This realization led them to embrace the 'Campaign for Grade Level Reading,' a model aimed at unifying communities around early childhood education. The campaign emphasizes the importance of ensuring children reach grade-level reading by third grade, a critical milestone for their future academic and life success. According to Peterson, vast amounts of research highlight that if children do not achieve grade-level reading by third grade, their chances of future success dwindle significantly. This inflection point is crucial as education transitions from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn,' and children who fall behind may find it exceedingly difficult to catch up. Seeing positive shifts in absenteeism rates and assessment scores over a short period is testament to the campaign's early success in Winchester, Virginia, and Dorchester County, Maryland. The collaborative approach the campaign has adopted allows for the pooling of resources and ideas, and leverages a national network of more than 350 communities. These shared experiences and best practices are pivotal in driving local impacts. An exciting aspect of the discussion was the various innovative initiatives currently underway. For instance, the laundromat reading program engages Hispanic families over a casual setting, promoting the importance of education and literacy. Other programs include attendance competitions that reward students for regular attendance, transforming going to school into an exciting and rewarding activity. Peterson stressed the importance of a broad, inclusive approach incorporating parents, educational systems, and local governments. He highlighted that parents are pivotal in their children's educational journeys. Therefore, educating parents about the importance of early literacy is a crucial component of the campaign. While highlighting the indispensable role United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley has played in the campaign's progress, Andy Gail remarked on the power of collaboration. Janet's double role as the host and chair of the United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley board was humorously noted, showcasing the deeply interconnected community working together towards this common goal. As they wrapped up, Gail recognized the honor and responsibility of United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley leading this change. With optimism and gratitude, he looks forward to furthering this mission, striving to bring about substantial improvements through collective efforts and sustained community engagement. The conversation concluded with an open invitation to the community to participate, ask questions, and become part of this transformative journey. The unyielding message was that together, the community can achieve great milestones in ensuring every child has the chance to succeed through education.

Our conversation today with Andy Gail, Executive Director for Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area gave us an update on several of their adult learning programs as well as details about the wide variety of topics they cover through classes and tutoring. Andy also gave a few statistics about how many books they're sending to children in the city of Winchester, Frederick & Clarke Counties through their partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The program was developed in 1995 by Dolly for her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. She wanted every preschool child to have their own library of books. Learn more about it here: https://imaginationlibrary.com/  As part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, sponsorships finance the cost of books and mailing. From the day they are born, children who are registered for the program receive a book every month until their fifth birthday. Preschoolers currently living in the City of Winchester, the County of Frederick, or the County of Clarke may enter the program at any time and begin receiving an age-appropriate book every month until their fifth birthday. Families with preschool children who move into the city are eligible to register and become part of the program. If a family has more than one preschool-age child, each child may participate and receive his/her own library. Learn more about how to register your child or become a sponsor of the program by clicking here. Andy gave us details for several events that are happening in the coming week including Alamo Winchester Film Club's Lost Weekend XVI Film Festival happening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1, 2023. During the event, Film Club will host a silent auction whose proceeds will benefit the Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Learn more about the event by clicking here. Oktoberfest kicks off in Old Town Winchester on September 29, 2023, from 5pm - 10pm. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year for LVWA that features local & regional breweries and live entertainment. Ticket prices will be $30 until the day of the event, and $40 at the gate. Learn more about the event by clicking here. Stay in the know about programs & events for Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area by visiting their website: https://lvwa.org/ and following them on Facebook.

Andy Gail was back today! Our monthly conversation with United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley with Jennifer Hall, Director of Community Investment featured Andy Gail (for his 8th visit to the show and finally a "repeat" topic) from Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Andy gave us an update on all the programs they have happening throughout the summer and explained how they've changed things up by offering events out of the classroom and in the community. He gave us details too, for the Collab on Cameron happening on July 30. In the second segment we talked with Jennifer and Andy about the impact grant they were awarded to help fund their Campaign for Grade Level Reading and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jennifer gave us a recap of the Project Connect events and talked about the need for volunteers at Valley Assistance Network (VAN.) We wrapped up with a reminder and invitation to the Rubbermaid Sale happening on Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 9am - 12pm in the Belk parking lot at Apple Blossom Mall.

In today's episode, we're visiting with Roxanne Saldana Jones with United Ways of Texas and Kierstan Schwab with Texas PBS about Start Smart Texas. Start Smart Texas is a part of the nationwide Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. In 2017, Lubbock became a Start Smart City, and since we've been working with the community to improve third-grade reading levels, kindergarten readiness, and other issues impacting a child's opportunity to succeed in school. ... Learn more about the local Start Smart Initiative https://www.liveunitedlubbock.org/startsmart View the Summer Reading Calendar and sign-up for updates https://www.liveunitedlubbock.org/summerreading Learn more about Start Smart Texas https://startsmarttexas.org/ ... Learn more about United Ways of Texas https://www.uwtexas.org/ Learn more about https://texaspbs.org/ ... Other resources mentioned in the show: Bright by Text https://brightbytext.org/ Lubbock Learning Neighborhood https://www.facebook.com/groups/149526513083815 The Parenting Cottage https://www.parentingcottage.org/ Literacy Lubbock https://literacylubbock.org/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lubbockareaunitedway/support

We recorded today's conversation at Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area with their Executive Director Andy Gail and Matt Peterson, Director at the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation. Matt told us a bit about the Wyatt Foundation and their long-term goals to support children and their families in our communities. The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit, grantmaking family foundation established in July 2018 is focused on creating equity and leveling the playing field for socially and economically disadvantaged children and youth in our geographic service area. With an emphasis on early childhood education through middle school, their goal is to help these children stay engaged and become successful, active citizens in today's rapidly evolving world. Matt explained the Campaign for Grade Level Reading that they recently kicked off in Winchester through a grant partnership with Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area. Andy gave us some staggering statistics for the number of adults in our community who struggle with reading and talked about the impact starting with younger children will have on those adult numbers. The Campaign for Grade Level Reading is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. It focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Goals of the Campaign: Winchester's overarching vision is to increase the percentage of 3rd graders reading at or above the proficient level from 52% to at least 75% in the next 10 years based on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) ELA assessment. The team will work in three workgroups to improve: School Readiness By 2025, increase the number of children ready for kindergarten by at least twenty percentage points. We envision moving from 67% (2019 -2020) to at least 80% of children being ready based on their performance on the PALS-K. School Attendance Reduce chronic absenteeism and achieve rates at or below 10% among K-3rd graders at all four elementary schools by 2025. Summer and Afterschool Learning Increase by 100% the number of K-3rd grade students who have access to summer and afterschool opportunities that focus on literacy-related learning and enrichment. For more information about how you can help them achieve these goals, visit their website: https://lvwa.org/campaign-for-grade-level-reading/ Andy also told us about their partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library that will provide monthly books to all children living in zip code 22601 under the age of 5. Get details for that here: https://lvwa.org/literacy-volunteers-winchester-area-imagination-library/ We also talked about the local StoryWalks and Winchester Little Libraries that will be placed at over 13 pocket parks throughout the city. Learn more about the Wyatt Foundation here: https://j2wfoundation.org/ and find details about Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area on their website: https://lvwa.org/ and follow them on Facebook.

Barry's special guest on the podcast is Matt Peterson, Executive Director of the 'John and Janice Wyatt Foundation'.  Matt shares the news of a community-wide collective impact program that is striving to get all Winchester 3rd graders up to a Third Grade reading level, and why that particular age group is so important for future success.  

Haverhill children, from infants through age five, could soon be recipients of free books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.The program will be conducted through Haverhill Promise, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Director Jenny Arndt was a recent guest on WHAV's morning program and said the Haverhill Education Foundation has agreed to underwrite the program the first year. Arndt said the country singer and songwriter has been a champion for reading for many years and established an international program to encourage young readers.“So, Dolly knows, the same that we know at Haverhill Promise, that just simply having more books in the home has been proven to improve reading outcomes for kids because they're excited about books. We parents want to sit down and read the books or an older sibling wants to read with you,” she explained.Parton's program delivers one, age appropriate, book per month to each child enrolled.“So, every month your child will get a book in the mail specifically for them, that is age and developmentally appropriate, just to help build up their home libraries,” Arndt said.She added the foundation does a good job of selecting titles.“The Dolly Parton Foundation has this wonderful team of educators and parents and all kinds of people that select the books every year. I was able to go and look at all the books that they gave away this past year and the year before, and they are really wonderful. There's a great variety. I believe about one quarter of them are bilingual, English and Spanish, which we are very excited about for our city.”Arndt said the project launches soon by enrolling babies served by the local Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Those looking to help contribute to the project may visit HaverhillPromise.com for details. Information about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is also available at ImaginationLibrary.com.Support the show (https://whav.net/become-a-whav-member/)

Ralph Smith, managing director for The Campaign for Grade Level Reading, joins us to talk about the importance of grade-level reading proficiency in 3rd grade for the academic success of learners graduating from high school.

Remaking Tomorrow

Will school closures and distance learning be a temporary setback for kids’ learning or will it have a permanent effect on their education? We spoke with Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading to get his perspective on the impact COVID-19 is having in the hardest hit communities. He offers suggestions for parent leaders looking to support the most vulnerable learners and their families during this challenging time. Resources: Learn more about COVID-19’s impact on families and children by exploring Learning Heroes’ report: “Parents 2020: COVID-19 Closures - A Redefining Moment for Students, Parents, and Schools” Keep your child on track this year with the help from these literacy & math Family Guides, created by Seek Common Ground and Student Achievement Partners Discover what COVID-19 recovery could look like in the Learning Policy Institute’s framework, “Restarting and Reinventing School: Learning in the Time of COVID and Beyond” Follow the Campaign for Grade Level Reading on Twitter at @ReadingBy3rd

Being a leader of literacy involves so much more than helping children learn to read. So, what exactly does it involve? Join us as we discuss the WV Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the four crucial components for developing a solid literacy foundation, and our efforts to help every community in West Virginia develop as leaders of literacy.

Join us as we talk with Angelique Jessup, Program Director & Ruth Farfel, Program Associate, at Campaign for Grade Level Reading in Baltimore, MD. Find out how grade level reading has collaborated with City Schools to support high-quality curricula implementation and how they engage and support families with building knowledge on curricular topics. Follow Grade Level Reading on Instagram @bemorereadmore.

In this episode, Chelsea Clinton sits down with Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, and Dr. Susan Neuman, New York University Professor of Childhood and Literacy Education, to share stories and strategies on how to help every child reach their full potential. Nearly 60 percent of children in the United States show up to kindergarten unprepared to learn. This problematic truth results in a lifelong burden that no child should bear and can have broader consequences across society. The issue is especially acute for children in low-income families and at-risk communities, as they often start behind in kindergarten and are less likely to catch up. The good news is that strong relationships and simple actions like talking, reading, and singing with children from birth can make a big difference in a child’s future. Chelsea, Ralph, and Susan, along with Patti Miller, CEO of Too Small to Fail, the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative, also highlight the Foundation’s innovative approaches to providing families with language and learning opportunities in the laundromat, grocery store, and other places parents go with their children everyday.

Did you know that third grade is a pivotal year for students learning to read? Reading proficiently by the end of that grade can be a marker for successes through a student’s college years. Angelique Jessup, Program Director at the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, tells us more about reading development.

Did you know that third grade is a pivotal year for students learning to read? Reading proficiently by the end of that grade can be a marker for successes through a student’s college years. Angelique Jessup, Program Director at the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, tells us more about reading development.

The dramatic story of the Flint water crisis-the signature environmental disaster of our time-and an inspiring tale of scientific resistance by a relentless physician who stood up to power. Internationally recognized for her 2015 study that exposed elevated lead blood levels in Flint children, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a physician, scientist, and activist at the forefront of one America's most notorious public-health crises. She is the recipient of the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. What the Eyes Don't See tells the inspiring story of how a diverse group of researchers, parents, and community leaders fought bureaucratic indifference and proved that Flint's children were exposed to dangerous levels of lead. In partnership with the Heinz Endowment and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading as a feature of GLR Week (recorded 7/25/2018)

Did you know that third grade is a pivotal year for students learning to read? Reading proficiently by the end of that grade can be a marker for successes through a student’s college years.  Angelique Jessup, Program Director at the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, tells us more about reading development.

Did you know that third grade is a pivotal year for students learning to read? Reading proficiently by the end of that grade can be a marker for successes through a student’s college years. Angelique Jessup, Program Director at the Baltimore Campaign for Grade Level Reading, tells us more about reading development.

Ralph Smith is managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), an initiative to mobilize communities to third-grade reading proficiency for children from low-income families. The GLR network now includes more than 300 Campaign communities in 42 states. Smith has served on the boards of the Council of Foundations, the Foundation Center, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation. Recently, he retired as senior vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and also served as a cabinet officer for the School District of Philadelphia. Previously, Smith taught Corporations and Securities Law and Education Law and Policy as a member of the Law Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, during which time he also served as a senior advisor to Philadelphia's mayor. Smith led efforts to design and implement the school district's landmark voluntary desegregation plan, negotiate some of the nation's first education reform-driven teacher contracts, and develop Children Achieving, a district-wide blueprint supported by the Annenberg Challenge. In this interview, we discuss how GLR is designed to help communities create solutions for kids, the concept of accountable advocacy, the role of philanthropy and state leaders, and much more. Listen, download, and share!