Summer Babies

by Maureen Faccia, Executive Vice President

I have a summer baby!  She was born 7-27-2007 at 2:07pm, and so far the numerology is disturbingly accurate.  Today she is a very special, vibrant and exciting first grader.  She loves horses, friends, and books.

Two years ago this month, it was time for me to register her for kindergarten and I had so many concerns:  Was she ready?  Could she keep up?  Would her confidence suffer as her peers were able to do all kinds of things before she was able to?

Since I work in this field, I know “ready” for kindergarten is beyond whether or not my child knows how to recite the alphabet or count to 20.  Ready at this age is very much about how well she can focus in the classroom for the 15 minute bursts of instruction and practice.  Summertime babies, those children who will forever be the youngest in the class because they just barely meet the cutoff for school registration, can often start school with a deficit simply because they are 11 months behind their September peers.

Aside from sympathetic friends and school teachers, I found a few excellent resources that I want to share.

o   Call your school! Most school districts offer developmental screenings for kids 5 and under which can help you assess your child’s readiness for school. They can also provide learning standards (click here for an example) for kindergarten so you can assess your child at home.

o   Make sure your child is enrolled in a quality pre-school before Kindergarten.  85% of brain development occurs before the age of 5, so maximizing the exposure your child can have before they enter Kindergarten is crucial.  Ask your preschool teacher if they are specifically working to prepare your child for language, reading, math and other elements your local kindergarten will teach. 

o   Access “Ready for Kindergarten” assessment tools that you can use at home on the web through United Way of Pierce County and other organizations who work in this field.

 How did I finally make the decision to send my summertime baby to Kindergarten?  I was most worried about her focus and ability to follow instructions.  A tool I found helpful was a “focus” game I played with her.   The task was to provide a series of things she needed to do sequentially and assess how many she could complete and how long it took to complete the task.  With a carrot of a play-date at stake, I was shocked to witness the speed with which my daughter was able to cross the room to retrieve a blue ball, return to the sofa and pick up the red socks, pet the dog and go to the door.  It became clearer to me that my daughter was more ready for kindergarten than I realized.

How to know a child is ready for kindergarten

by Nalani Linder and Nola Renz, Community Impact Managers

How to know a child is ready for kindergarten? For many children, one’s fifth birthday is a milestone in that it’s time to leave the familiar scene of home, child care or preschool to enter kindergarten.  With registration opening this month for school districts throughout Pierce County, parents and caregivers of five year olds might wonder not only how to register for kindergarten, but even more: is my child ready?

What does it mean to be ‘ready’? Most school district offices offer ‘checklists’ of basic reading and math skills as well as language and social development skills to help you know if your child is prepared for a successful kindergarten experience.  Here’s a sample:

1. Counts from 1 to 20.
2. Prints his or her first name.
3. Follows simple directions – listens and completes instructions.
4. Sits still – can sit long enough to listen to a story and/or participate in class activities.
5. Uses the restroom – knows when they have to go to the bathroom and can do so by themselves.
6. Recognizes letters – They don’t have to be reading, but letter recognition is important.
7. Works on fine and gross motor skills – jumping, running, throwing a ball, holding a pencil and cutting with scissors.
8. Gets along with peers – knows how to share and take turns.
9. Handles emotions – knows her feelings and has coping skills.
10. Shows an interest in learning – likes to listen to stories, music, and is stimulated by the information.

For an example of a complete list, see A Family’s Guide to Kindergarten Readiness from Tacoma Public Schools.

How does your child feel about it?  We want every five year old to be excited and eager to start kindergarten, but know that sometimes that’s not the case. The Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) has a wonderful checklist for kindergarten readiness as seen through the eyes of a child.  This ‘child’s checklist’ includes things like ‘I feel comfortable with the school I’ll be attending’ and ‘I feel ready to start kindergarten’.  Consider taking your child to your local school’s playground on a weekend to talk about their own feelings of beginning kindergarten. 

What if my four year old is ready?  Do you have a four year old who’s reading up a storm?  It may seem like she’s ready to make the jump to kindergarten, but think twice before you enroll her. Experts caution in putting your child in too early, as academic readiness doesn’t always mean social/emotional readiness for the long days in the kindergarten classroom. Think too about the long term implication: do you want to commit your child to being the youngest in their classes when he is in middle and high school?  Many kindergarten teachers encourage parents to consider having their little ones in a high quality preschool an extra year, to let them continue to grow and learn so they are ready for kindergarten success in all ways.

One Powerful Moment

by Timm Dowling, Resource Development Executive & Lindsey Burks, Marketing Intern

As the son of a public educator and product of our education system, I know that a major obstacle for learning is classroom size. Upwards of twenty or thirty students per teacher can become a barrier, not just for the teacher but for every student. Even if every student was prepared to learn and paid attention, they still have their own unique learning challenges and styles. Add to the mix an assortment of disabilities, family crises and social distractions, it becomes a wonder how teachers manage to transfer knowledge to their students’ brains. That’s where tutors can really make a difference.

Sarah, an AmeriCorp tutor, was asked by the principal at an elementary school to help two struggling students, a second grader and third grader, whom had recently enrolled in the school for the first time. Both lacked basic skills like number and letter recognition, so keeping up with their peers was near impossible. Their teachers simply could not devote the time necessary to get them caught up, and did not want to cause embarrassment by placing them in the kindergarten level classes. The Principal proposed that Sarah come to the school and tutor them one-on-one every day to give them the tools they needed to be integrated back into their classes. With the materials and lesson plans provided by their teachers, Sarah began meeting with the students for an hour each day to tackle math and reading basics. In four months, the students have made amazing progress. The third grader is grasping math concepts such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Both can count to 100 and are progressing to counting to 1,000. Sarah's most powerful moment, the moment that made her experience as a tutor completely worthwhile, was listening to the second grader read the first two pages of Cat in the Hat aloud to her. Despite their disadvantages at the beginning of the school year, the students were able to continue their education at a normal rate and it is no longer a question whether success is in their futures, but rather it is something they look forward to.

You do not have to be an AmeriCorp member to make a positive impact on a child’s life; you simply must have the desire to improve someone’s life and the gusto to act. Tutoring is a worthwhile endeavor, meaningful for both the tutor and the student. Get in touch with our Volunteer Center to learn more about how to become a tutor.

For more information contact Cindy Evans, Senior Volunteer Center Associate, at CindyE@uwpc.org or 253-597-6457.

Magical Formula for Reading

by Timm Dowling, Resource Development Executive

Few people can remember the exact moment when they first learned to read. Now I may not be able to tell you what I ate for breakfast this morning, but I do remember my first breakthrough with reading. I was lucky enough to attend a private school until fourth grade- St. Charles Borromeo, right here in Tacoma. As I think back to first grade, a few memories flash in my mind; my first girlfriend (whatever that meant), a role in the Christmas pageant  (no lines, but it was a big deal), and a trip to the Principal’s office for reasons undisclosed (okay, rough housing at recess). More important than any of those recollections was Sister Margaret’s advice one faithful day when we were reading aloud in class.

“Let the words flow like a river, Timm.” I can honestly say this was the first time it clicked. I no longer viewed the words separately. I was not completely focused on the correct pronunciation but I linked the words together and by the end of the sentence a picture was painted in my mind. Holy cow, I can read!

Even though I had plenty of books for practice, the passion for reading had not yet ignited. I was an outdoors kid and sitting down to read never seemed appetizing. Bed time stories were enough to put me to sleep. However, by third grade, Harry Potter mania was rising fast. My best friends were already on the third book in the series, so it was necessary for me to catch up to remain cool. Noticing this, my best friend began to call me after school and we would read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone aloud to each other over the phone. He was an experienced reader, having learned to read before kindergarten so I subconsciously picked up a few tips here and there (like how to pronounce Hermione).

I read through each of the Harry Potter books in three days or less. It wasn’t the first book I ever read, but it was the first book that captured my imagination to such a degree that I couldn’t put it down. Books over two hundred pages tend to intimidate younger readers, but JK Rowling found an enticingly magical formula. I ate it up like the thousands of other kids around the globe. I would get lost in these books. It was the first time I was engulfed in the story and could visualize the characters, hear their voices, and feel their emotions. I was transported to another world, lost in a tale of adventure, adversity and accomplishment. I went on to read all seven books, twice.

From that point on, I was no longer discouraged by the length of a book. I went on to read other series like Pendragon and Eragon. While I enjoyed fantasy and science-fiction in my free time, the constant practice it gave my mind made other genres enjoyable too. Comprehension and fulfillment translated into the classroom as I read and completed assignments for books like the Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, and Fahrenheit 451. I have no doubt my reading skills translated into the writing skills that helped earn my degree in Communication. Today, at twenty four years of age I have amassed a pretty good collection of books and always have one in rotation - it’s a hobby I’ll enjoy the rest of my life.

There’s no doubt that the exposure to a high quality early education led to the success I have enjoyed. So many factors created opportunities for me. A sturdy home environment, tools that prepared me for school and incredible educators who enabled my passion for learning all contributed to my small, but significant, breakthrough which granted me the life I have today. United Way of Pierce County works hard to provide these same components to every child in our community through our focus on early childhood education and our programs such as Launch into Literacy. Help us ignite the passion for countless Pierce County children by hosting a book drive or donating to Launch into Literacy.

South Sound 2-1-1 Adds New Services for Those In Need

February 11th is National 2-1-1 Day, Celebrating the Work of 2-1-1 Centers Nationwide

by Nicole Milbradt, Sr. Marketing Associate

In 2013, United Way of Pierce County ‘s South Sound 2-1-1 call center added more services, making it an even more critical resource for people who don’t know where to turn. In addition to connecting callers to resources such as rental and utility assistance, food and transportation, the call center added a health plan specialist, a military specialist and the ability to sign people up for the Basic Food program.

In 2013, South Sound 2-1-1 reached 82,000 people. More than 50,000 callers were connected to resources through the call center while an additional 32,000 people accessed services online.

South Sound 2-1-1 specialists helped callers navigate the changing scene of health care and understand what new legislation meant for their health coverage. They also helped military personnel and veterans access resources both on and off base as well as helping 120 people complete Basic Food program applications.

Over the course of the year, South Sound 2-1-1 also helped:

·         Keep People Housed. South Sound 2-1-1 helped 8,228 people get connected to rental assistance and housing stability programs and another 5,919 to shelter or affordable housing options.

·         Keep Warm in Winter. South Sound 2-1-1 referred 10,325 people to utility assistance.

·         Access Health Care. South Sound 2-1-1 assisted 2,043 people with dental care, vision care and general health care resources.

·         Keep People Fed. South Sound 2-1-1 helped more than 2,000 people find local feeding programs.

The call center also staffs a transportation specialist, who helped 3,414 people get to jobs, medical appointments, the grocery store or food bank and other essential trips. Additionally, a partnership with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites and mytaxes.com helps low-income families get tax assistance. In 2013, South Sound 2-1-1 helped over 400 families get the tax credits they were eligible for.

The call center serves not only Pierce County but also takes calls from Lewis and Thurston counties as well. The South Sound center is one of the most cost-effective call centers in the state, using volunteer and advocacy support from United Way of Pierce County to staff the call center and obtain state funding.

United Way Takes Olympia

by Lindsey Burks, Marketing Intern

Throughout the community United Way is well-known in workplaces for our campaigns, and in agencies for our support. The facet of our work that is less visible to the community is our advocacy; however lobbying at the Capital for support for children and families in Pierce County is one of the most critical elements of our mission. Although advocacy is a constant effort, our lobbying culminates on one day – our annual Day on the Hill.

Day on the Hill connects a team of United Way staff, volunteers and community members with legislators in Olympia to discuss the issues on our advocacy agenda. Led by United Way’s Public Policy Committee, the team will focus on issues including continued investments in early learning programs and the 2-1-1 Call Center, as well as funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The agenda also includes a key initiative around capital improvements to a Tacoma child care facility and a children’s outdoor art park.

The proposal for the urban children’s park seems simple enough. An undeveloped plot of land behind the Children’s Museum off Pacific Avenue is an ideal location for an outdoor park. However, the historic Prairie Line railroad track runs through this lot, an inactive track since 1943. This land has become somewhat of an eye sore for downtown goers. United Way envisions this unused land becoming a safe outdoor learning environment for Pierce County’s youth.

In 2012, State Representative Jake Fey and United Way initiated a conversation with the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks, Children’s Museum of Tacoma, and Tacoma Art Museum to look at state funds that could be used to purchase the property. The proposed park would link the daycare playground behind the United Way building to the Tacoma Art Museum.

Today, children need more opportunities to learn outdoors. Too often our kids are inside bogged down with iPads and video games. The Children’s Art Park creates a safe environment for adolescents to learn and explore with the elements outside while beautifying a downtown landmark that has been inactive for much too long. With the help of State Representatives this little plot of land, rich with history, can once again become an important jewel in our community.