Evanston Cradle to Career has announced the launch of a new campaign to boost the early brain development and language skills of children in Evanston from birth through age three.
The campaign, called Talk, Read, Sing, is a community-wide effort in partnership with Too Small to Fail, a national joint initiative of The Opportunity Institute and the Clinton Foundation.
Talk, Read, Sing aims to support and reinforce parents and caregivers in talking, reading and singing more with their children from birth. Almost 50 percent of Evanston children start kindergarten without the foundational skills they need to prepare them for school success.
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 vocabularies, prepare them for school, and lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
Talk, Read, Sing is partnering with trusted messengers, like pediatricians, local maternity hospitals, child care providers, librarians, home visitors, pastors, and others 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 Talk, Read, Sing information directly to families.
Talk, Read, Sing also aims to transform everyday places where families spend time together into language-rich environments. Various locations around the community will display Talk, Read, Sing posters and creative materials that encourage families to talk, read and sing while they engage in everyday activities. Parents and caregivers can also sign up for our texting program, which sends twice weekly parenting tips, by texting COE TRS1 to 468311.
Evanston Cradle to Career (EC2C) is committed to ensuring that ALL Evanston young people have the opportunity to achieve their potential. Together we can ensure that our children are prepared for a strong start to kindergarten.