STAR CITY READS !

1. STAR CITY READS! How to help children succeed in reading (and life) Sharon Ramey and Craig Ramey Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Tech

2. The foundations for STAR CITY READS! • A rapidly expanding knowledge base from research about the factors that promote (versus hinder) children becoming capable readers by 3rd grade • A strong commitment from the City of Roanoke and local partners to work closely together • A plan to generate datasets that are practically useful, openly shared, and trustworthy

3. What does “early literacy” really mean? The skills and competencies that come before children learn to read independently and that are considered the early building blocks essential to becoming capable readers. The key early literacy skills are: print awareness, alphabet knowledge, phonological skills, language competency, and pre-writing skills

4. Children’s preparation for reading begins at birth (or earlier) • Through active back-and-forth “conversations” with trusted, caring adults • Hearing lots of different words and sounds that are directed to them in their everyday lives • Playing games that include silly sounds, rhymes, songs, stories, instructions • Having adults teach them how words “go with” things, people, actions, and feelings they experience

5. Why are we placing so much emphasis on early reading? • Success in learning to read (K-3) is universally recognized and proven to be essential to doing well in school. • Very young children love to read – even if it is “make-believe” reading (which can be very good) – as long as they having fun and seeing progress. • The early literacy skills that help children become capable readers are also natural, interesting, and social, too!

6. Why use reading scores at end of 3rd grade as a benchmark? • Scores are strongly connected to children’s earlier life experiences from birth to age 5. • Scores are good predictors of later reading and high school graduation. • Only a very small proportion of 3rd grade children show test anxiety or have problems with the testing procedures. • Schools and communities that invest in high-quality education see clear benefits in 3rd grade reading achievement scores.

7. Handouts to discuss • Seven Essentials for Learning – based on a synthesis of more than 1000 research articles, including linking children’s experiences to healthy brain development • The 10 hallmarks of children who succeed in school – grounded in educational, psychological, health, and policy research findings; shows that success is about 1/3 due to child factors, 1/3 to parents, 1/3 to schools and pre-K programs

8. Seven Essential Transactions forCaregivers with Young Children • Encourage exploration • Mentor in basic skills • Celebrate developmental advances • Rehearse and extend new skills • Protect from inappropriate disapproval, teasing, and punishment • Communicate richly and responsively • Guide and limit behavior Ramey & Ramey, 1999 Right from Birth

9. 10 Hallmarks of Children WhoSucceed in School Eager to learn Ask lots of questions Work hard and know effort matters Have good social-emotional skills Can assess their own skills reasonably well Parents are role models for learning themselves Parents promote learning at home Family routines support doing well in school Parents set and maintain fair limits Schools have high student expectations, support teacher development, and communicate frequently with parents Ramey & Ramey, Going to School, 1999