(Continued)

 

This program enhances the early childhood system in the county and adds to the continuum of services currently available.  Developing early literacy skills before entering school is critical to a child’s development and future academic success and is a smart economic investment demonstrated by numerous economists.

 

Generous support for SPARK has come from the Abington Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, PNC Foundation, Stocker Foundation, and the United Way of Greater Cleveland.  Support from these foundations will allow The Literacy Cooperative to enroll 140 children in SPARK during the pilot year. The Literacy Cooperative and Invest in Children are very grateful to these funders for allowing this evidence-based practice to be brought to Cuyahoga County.

 

Three school districts have been identified as SPARK service areas: Maple Heights School District, Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District and The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).  The Literacy Cooperative will work with Oxford and Boulevard Elementary Schools in Cleveland Heights and Raymond Elementary School in Maple Heights to recruit and enroll pre-school aged children who will attend those schools in 2011.  The CMSD schools have yet to be identified.

 

Recruitment activities have begun in Cleveland Heights-University Heights and Maple Heights.  Parents and children who enroll in the program will participate in SPARK from the time of enrollment until they transition to kindergarten in 2011. Families will receive a monthly home visit from a parent partner who will help parents prepare their child for kindergarten by providing instruction on how to use books and lessons to build reading, language, math, and social skills.   Educational materials, including books and art supplies, will be provided without cost to each family.  All of the home visit activities are designed to improve school readiness in reading and numeracy and are aligned to Ohio Early Learning Content Standards.

 

The Literacy Cooperative will work with Heights Parent Center and Family Connections, non-profit family education, resource and support centers, to coordinate and provide the literacy-based home visiting services.  These agencies have a long history of strengthening families and supporting parents to ensure the healthy physical, emotional and academic development of children.  They believe early interactive learning is not only the key to academic success but also strengthens the relationship between parent and child and promotes the parent’s continuing involvement in their child’s education.  Heights Parent Center and Family Connections staff will deliver the home visits and will work with parents to help them to be their child’s first teacher.  Their mission “to strengthen families with young children” directly aligns with the objectives of the SPARK program. The Literacy Cooperative looks forward to working with these agencies to deliver SPARK services to families in the targeted communities.

 

SPARK is open to pre-school children who have a birthday between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006 and plan to attend one of the following schools:  Raymond Elementary School in Maple Heights, Boulevard Elementary School in Cleveland Heights or Oxford Elementary School in Cleveland Heights.  For more information, please call Robin Sullivan, Program Director at 216-393-4548.

 

 

Click on the links below to read individual articles or visit our main e-newsletter page:

 

In this issue...

• A Message from Bob Paponetti
• Place Matters
• Literacy Spotlight: City Council President Martin Sweeney
• Declaration Makes a Stop in Cleveland
• Recruitment Efforts Underway for NEO Literacy Corps