January 2012 E-Newsletter
Nurturing an Expectation for College
Research Corner
Did you know how crucial
early experiences are to a child’s lifelong education?
Scholastic Inc. reports in
their “10 Big Ideas about Early
Childhood Education” that “children’s early
experiences are critical to their learning, growth, and development” (4). Every
early encounter contributes to brain development, and enriched experiences
during the first three years of life lead to higher success rates in kindergarten,
high school, and beyond. (To read all ten “big ideas” and their succinct,
one-page descriptions, see the report at this link.)
Here at Avance-Dallas, we’re promoting the early
educational experiences and family expectations that lead to success in universities.
We’re grateful for all of your support this past fall in advancing children
from cradle to college!
“College Is for Me” Parade
Early last month Avance-Dallas families in Irving and
North Dallas participated in a “College Is for Me” parade, promoting a vision
of college-level achievement in children from their earliest years.
The event started out with a
visit to Brookhaven College, a local community college where parents learned how
to enroll and take advantage of educational opportunities in their backyard.
Then the families held a
parade. Children marched in the parade dressed up as all kinds of
professionals, from doctors to lawyers and civil engineers. Together the
families strengthened their communal commitment to higher education, both for
parents and children.
Through events like the
“College Is for Me” parade, Avance-Dallas
is building a foundation for lifelong learning in our children.
Jacob Finds His Voice
Adriana
felt apprehensive when her pediatrician recommended taking her two-year-old
son, Jacob, to speech therapy. She was worried that Jacob did not talk, but the
idea of speech therapy made her uneasy. Avance-Dallas
sounded less threatening, so she enrolled in our Baby University Program in
Bachman Lake.
One
day our Home Visitor met with Adriana in her home. Jacob’s excitement
encouraged the Home Visitor to play with him for a while. That’s when Adriana
said that she rarely saw Jacob playing. When the Home Visitor introduced a toy,
he began interacting with her and Adriana. Adriana was amazed that Jacob enjoyed
the game and could follow instructions.
Thrilled
by the engagement, little Jacob woke up his dad, Ismael, so he could play, too.
Ismael was elated because his son called him “dad” for the first time.
All
this excitement paved the way for the Home Visitor to share with the family in
a non-threatening environment how speech therapy could benefit Jacob. The visit
had clearly changed what Adriana thought about her son’s abilities and about
how to help him develop on target for success.
Alumni Take PTA Leadership
We salute the Avance-Dallas alumni at Vickery Meadow’s
Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School, where all the parents on the PTA
(Parent-Teacher Association) board are Avance-Dallas
moms. Thanks for giving back to the Vickery Meadow community!
Partner Profile: Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear
Hugs Foundation
We’re pleased to announce a
new grant from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation, which has given Avance-Dallas a $1,600 award in support of
our Parent-Child
Book Clubs. The Build-A-Bear Workshop
Bear Hugs Foundation grant is putting free books in the
hands of the low-income children in our Book Clubs so they can take the books
home and read with their parents every day.
The Build-A-Bear Workshop
Bear Hugs Foundation is committed to making life more bearable for children,
families, and pets who are in need of a helping paw. With the sale of each Read
Teddy — a special furry friend available in all Build‑A‑Bear Workshop®
stores — one dollar is donated to First Book and other literacy programs
throughout the United States and Canada. Visit www.buildabear.com for more information.
The Avance-Dallas Book Clubs are an abbreviated program that instills educational
change in young children by focusing specifically on the key activity of
parent-child reading. We’re grateful for the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation’s support
of literacy through our whole-family reading initiative!