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Our Focus Area:
"Early Childhood Education
Since the initiation last year of our focused impact area of Early Childhood Education, we have identified the critical needs that we believe the JLP can effectively address in partnership with other local community agencies. Our success in creating, launching and strengthening programs is based on positive collaborations with our community partners. JLP can provide committed trained volunteers and funding to help a program move forward successfully while offering our members the opportunity to impact the community and improve their leadership skills.
The Need:
- Arizona ranks 36th in overall child well being (source: 2007 Kids Count Data Book, The Annie E. Casey Foundation)
- Arizona has the highest rate of uninsured children who receive no health care during the year (source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
- Kindergarten teachers in AZ report that 48% of all children entering school do not have essential skills to succeed (Source: Children's Action Alliance)
- First three years are the most important in a child's development (source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
- For every $1 invested in early education, AZ taxpayers save $6-$7 of future cost burden
Family Literacy is a core area The Junior League of Phoenix is addressing as we prepare children successfully to start school. When speaking to people about our focus on early childhood education and literacy, the first question immediately asked is how are we going to approach getting kids to read by kindergarten. Big aha moment! Early Literacy doesn't mean you children need to be reading A Tale of Two Cities front and back. Early literacy does not mean early reading. So what literacy behaviors or "skills" should your pre-Kindergarten age children have to be prepared for school? According to the NAYEC, there are four main behaviors to look for: Book Handling; Looking and Recognizing; Picture and Story Comprehension; and Story Reading.
We have approved programs in earlier childhood education. Two of these programs will increase use of curriculum programming; and three programs will increase parental involvement, improve at home reading and public awareness. They are Get Ready to Read! Community Screenings; Family Literacy Plus and Fowler Expansion Project.
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