Studies show that educational achievement gaps already exist at Kindergarten entry.  Children from low-income families are more likely to start school with limited language skills, health problems and social and emotional problems that interfere with learning.  The larger the gap at school entry, the harder it is to close.

Language proficiency is a key predictor of school success. Early literacy skills (size of vocabulary, recognizing letters, understanding letter and sound relationships) at kindergarten entry are good predictors of children's reading abilities throughout their educational careers. Language and literacy skills enable children to develop cognitive skills and knowledge and to interact effectively with peers and adults.

 







Residency Roundtable: Language and Literacy

This meeting was the second in a series of small work sessions to help states make accelerated progress in selecting and/or developing school readiness indicators in priority areas. Participants included state agency data and policy staff from Early Intervention, Early Childhood, Education, Health, Human Services and Governor's Offices as well as state school readiness team members from child policy organizations, universities, and Head Start. The roundtable focused on indicators related to the healthy language and literacy development of children from birth to age eight. The indicators reflect state investments in programs and policies for young children and families as well as child outcomes.

Meeting Objectives:
     * To identify the issues that are critical to the language and literacy development of young children, including family environment, community conditions, child characteristics, and service systems for young children and their families.   

     * To consider a set of school readiness indicators that reflect child outcomes (language and literacy development of infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and early elementary school children) as well as systems outcomes (state policies and programs that affect young children and families).   

     * To select priority indicators to track progress in supporting the language and literacy development of young children from birth to age 8. 

     * To identify potential data sources for indicators of the language and literacy development of young children.
       

© 2005, School Readiness Indicators Initiative
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The School Readiness Indicators Initiative is supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
The 17-state initiative is managed by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT