Read Learn Succeed

Reading aloud to your child is the single most important thing you can do to prepare your child for lifelong learning success.

Did you know?

• 90% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3
• By age 3, a child’s vocabulary can predict third grade reading profiency
• Children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four time more likely to drop out of high school

Many of life’s opportunities depend on one’s ability to read.  A skilled workforce is the key to a successful economy, but statistics show that only half of our young people are developing the skills and knowledge they need to fill tomorrow’s jobs.  The good news is that research also shows us where we can make the greatest impact: to address learning at the earliest most crucial time, prenatal to age 5.

Northeast Georgia Medical Center has been a strong supporter of United Way of Hall County’s Read Learn Succeed Initiative, which encourages parents and caregivers to read to their children, starting at birth, for at least 15 minutes every day.

In honor of National Literacy Day, NGMC President and CEO Carol Burrell and Clifford the Big Red Dog visited NGMC’s NICU to read to baby patients.  NGMC also held a book drive, collecting more than 500 gently used books for United Way to distribute.

Helpful tips to incorporate Read Learn Succeed into your daily life:

• Dr. Suess’s Seussville – Activities and Games for Children
• 15 Read Aloud Tips for Babies and Toddlers
• Let’s Talk Nourishment – October 2014
• Hablemos Alimentación – octubre 2014 (en Espanol)

Learn More about this National Trend:

• The New York Times, Trying to Close a Knowledge Gap, Word by Word
• The New York Times, October 2013: Language-Gap Study Bolsters a Push for Pre-K
• Not Just Cute Inertnational Whole Child Development, October 2013: Teaching Your Child to Talk…There’s NO App for That
• The Washington Post, January 2014: Thirty States are Raising Pre-Kindergarten Funding
• Think Progress, January 2014: Universal High-Quality Enarly Childhood Education Could Close the Achievement Gap at Age 5
• US News, Janaury 2014: 5 Key Education Stories to Watch in 2014
• The Hearld, Janaury 2014: Susan Meister: Early Invervention is Key
• Institute for Child Success, Janaury 2014: Pay for Success Financing for Early Childhood Programs: A Path Forward
• Docs for Tots: Quality Early Learning Settings Can Transform Our Nations Health: A Prescription for Growing Up Healthy