New program encourages easy, everyday learning experiences for young children Council for Union County Families, Honda of America, United Way partner to bring national initiative to Union County For immediate release Tuesday April 24, 2007

Sorting clothes by color before running a load of laundry. Collecting the ingredients necessary for a meal before preparing it. Seeing who can spot a truck first while riding in the car on the way to the store. CLICK HERE to visit the national BornLearning site, www.BornLearning.org These are simple, everyday activities. But they can be turned into learning experiences for young children that will help them to succeed when it’s time for them to go to school. That’s the key message of the Born Learning campaign, a national initiative created by United Way of America that is coming to Union County. A new partnership between the Council for Union County Families, Honda of America, Mfg., and the United Way of Union County will allow for Born Learning materials to be distributed throughout the community. The program is designed to help parents create quality learning opportunities for children from birth to age five, preparing them to enter school. “We want parents to consider that early learning doesn't start at kindergarten, it starts at birth,” said Holly Zweizig, Director of Childhood Behavioral Health for the Council for Union County Families. “But preparing your child for school doesn't have to be about worksheets and flashcards. Parents can foster imagination, problem solving, creativity, and language development in everyday moments in the car, at home, or even at the store." United Way Board President Derric Brown (third from left) and his wife Dee read to their children Leah and Noah. The Browns endorse United Way's BornLearning initiative as a positive influence for area parents. "Especially with our son, Noah, getting ready to go to kindergarten next fall, we're always looking for resources that we can use to help our children," said Dee. While children don’t come with an instruction manual when they are born, parents and caregivers in Union County will soon have access to Born Learning’s easy-to-read materials that suggest doable activities that will enhance learning activities for young children. A $14,000 grant by Honda will make posters, playbooks, fliers and parent guide books available to parents with children from birth to age six. Parents can also go to www.BornLearning.org or log onto United Way’s website at www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org to read the materials. The information is extremely helpful for busy, working parents who aren’t sure how to encourage early learning or feel they don’t have time to do what it takes to help their child succeed in school. “As a first-time parent of a 19-month-old myself, I’m finding dozens of useful tips in these materials,” said Dave Bezusko, Campaign & PR Director for United Way of Union County. “Ideas such as nutritional tips, how to watch for milestones at various stages in development, and games to play as he grows. It’s very convenient for a busy, working parent.” Research shows that much of a child’s ability to transition successfully into a kindergarten classroom hinges on foundations established during the formative years at home. As the Marysville School District enrolls children through the kindergarten registration process this month, officials say that children come to school at various levels of development. “We clearly know that the kids who enter kindergarten who we consider ‘language-rich’ have been engaged in a lot of talk at home in conversations with peers and adults,” said Carla Steele, Kindergarten-6th Grade Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Development Coordinator for the Marysville Exempted Village School District. “They’ve been asked questions. They’ve been read to. They are conscious of the print in their environment, such as on signs. They can pick out their favorite cereal in the grocery store. They know when they’re going to Wal-Mart. They are aware of how books work in terms of left-to-right directionality. They’re hearing sounds through stories and rhyming games. There’s a strong correlation between children’s language and literacy development.” Born Learning promotes “Learning on the Go” – activities that parents can do at anytime, anywhere, to turn ordinary daily activities into eye-opening experiences for a child. For example, when taking children to the grocery store, parents can talk to a child in advance about a special thing that she or he can buy at the market. They are then encouraged to look for it, like a treasure hunt. This helps a child learn to be a good observer. “It’s very difficult to find time, but the payoff for helping these children grow into very competent literary users is too important,” Steele said. “It’s not just the reading and writing piece, but also speaking and listening. They’re all connected together as a system.” Created in 2005 by the United Way of America, the Born Learning initiative is being used in more than 350 communities in the country through the promotional efforts of local United Ways like the one in Union County. “I think it’s a big need in our community for there to be a countywide focus on early childhood education,” Steele said. “With all of us joining hands together and bringing our expertise to the table, it’s very doable and very powerful. This is really exciting.” “The bottom line is that the Born Learning materials help you as a parent to relate better to your young child,” Bezusko said. “I’ve observed things about my son that I read about and it’s helped me to enhance my relationship with him. That’s something on which you can’t put a price.” For more information about BornLearning please contact the United Way of Union County at (937) 644-8381.