Edhat Staff
Source: County of Santa Barbara
Announcing a new campaign aimed at boosting early brain development and language skills of all children birth through age 5 in Santa Barbara County. The First 5 Santa Barbara County campaign will run Oct. 16 through Nov. 20, 2017 with support from partners including community leaders, family resource centers, libraries, and child care providers involved in the Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing,” is a community-wide effort with promotion from Too Small to Fail, a national, joint initiative of The Opportunity Institute and the Clinton Foundation.
“Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing” encourages parents and caregivers to talk, read and sing more with their young children from birth. Almost 60 percent of American children start kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind their peers in critical language, math and social-emotional skills. Research shows that simple, everyday interactions with young children – like describing objects seen during a walk or bus ride, singing songs, or telling stories – can build their vocabulary, prepare them for school, and lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
The campaign is partnered with trusted messengers to share information with parents and caregivers about the critical role they play in their children’s early brain development. These community partners will distribute Talking is Teaching materials directly to families.
Talking is Teaching hopes to transform everyday places where families spend time together into language-rich environments. A community-wide multi-media campaign will reinforce these messages through bus ads and in paid media spots.
For more information, go to the First 5 website, visit the FaceBook page, or call (805) 560-1039. First 5 Santa Barbara County Children and Families Commission, funded by Proposition 10, works in partnership with individuals and organizations throughout the county to support the health, early learning and well-being of children prenatal to age 5 and their families.
“Almost 60 percent of American children start kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind their peers in critical language, math, and social-emotional skills. ”
One might ask themselves, if 60% of children are lagging behind their peers – maybe really 40% of the children are ahead of their peers and the 60% are just fine.
The kindergarten requirements have changed greatly over the last several decades (have gotten much harder – more like 1st and 2nd grade used to be). Maybe that was a bad call.
What will it take to make them stop those horribly annoying “talk, read, sing” public service announcements on TV? They’re as grating as the ads for Kars4Kids. MAKE THEM STOP!!