Kindergarten Preparedness: Project CARE (Community Action for Reading Excellence)

Approximately 40% of children entering Kindergarten are not prepared for school primarily because of limited oral vocabularies, a key indicator for reading success. These children tend to fall further behind as they move up through the grades. Preparing children for Kindergarten is a key strategy in the strategic plan for ensuring future school success. Read to Succeed Buffalo is very active in making systemic change in this area through a number of programs.

Project CARE

Project CARE (Community Action for Reading Excellence) prepares children for school from birth through pre-kindergarten by providing assistance to licensed home-based childcare providers in the designated literacy zone. The program was made possible by a $400,000 grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation.

Five Read to Succeed Buffalo coalition partners have collaborated to increase the number of quality childcare providers in the literacy zone. They have created a literacy-rich environment for pre-school children, preparing them for Kindergarten. Our Partners are:

• United Way-Success By 6
• The Child Care Resource Network
• Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)
• WNED-TV
• Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo & Erie County

Outcomes

• At pretest in September 2007, 47% of the children in Project CARE were on target developmentally. Ten months later, 85% of the children were on target developmentally.
• In addition, 91% of the parents whose children were involved in Project CARE said their children seemed more confident;
• 100% of the childcare providers said the program was working and would recommend it for other childcare providers. RTSB is making positive systemic change in ensuring children's success in school in future years