A top priority for our state is to prepare young Oregonians to be proficient readers, with the skills to perform successfully in school, college, and the work place. We know...
- Proficient readers aren't created in high school or middle school
- The foundation for literacy acquisition is not even laid in kindergarten or first grade
Rather...the stage for reading acquisition is set in the years between birth and entry into kindergarten (Dickinson, McCabe, & Essex, 2006). Birth to five is a critical period during which brain development is rapid and extensive with lifelong implications for the child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive well-being (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).
That is why the Birth to Five section of the Oregon Literacy Plan is designed to
- Provide school readiness through integration of services for young children
- Ensure all children enter school ready to learn to read.
Birth to Five Narrative
This narrative provides an overview of what is necessary to ensure Oregon’s very young children are ready for school. It introduces and explains the three levels of early childhood infrastructure—State, Regional, and Center-based—and the six components of a comprehensive pre-literacy program—Goals, Assessment, Instruction, Leadership, Professional Development, and Commitment.