ABSTRACT

Over the last two years children have attended school in so many variations and formats hindering the development of skills needed to meet the third grade reading level. In the early years of children’s educational journey, they are learning to read and after third grade, reading fluency is required to move to the next grade. Without a strong foundation in pre-reading to reading skills, children are left at a constant stage of catch up trying to reach the next level. Great Lakes Early Childhood Center believes that when students are offered materials that support their education, they can connect an important missing piece to help build their foundation. Currently, the center’s book collection consists of extras from elementary schools, donations from the community, and teacher purchased. Upon receiving the grant, 10 classrooms would each receive a new set of classroom books from HighScope’s Read Aloud Curriculum, a set of teacher-selected read aloud books, supporting felt story pieces and puppets. With the proper materials, educators can best support children in their educational journey that is just beginning, and children will be ready to meet the third grade reading level expectation.