As part of its Building Bridges to Literacy Initiative, the San Benito County Office of Education will begin the second cohort of its Early Literacy Certification Program on Sept. 14, says a press release from the county office.
The program, which runs until Nov. 23, brings early literacy classes to daycare providers and preschool teachers throughout San Benito County and is designed to help participants learn new skills and strategies around reading and literacy. Last spring, 19 participants completed the first cohort and are using the skills they learned to prepare students to read when they enter Kindergarten.
Developing literacy skills before age 5 helps ensure children arrive to kindergarten ready to read, according to the county office. Research indicates that students who do not have adequate literacy skills when they enter school are significantly less likely to meet college and career readiness benchmarks throughout their entire academic career, putting them at risk of dropping out of school, engaging in high-risk behaviors and becoming involved with juvenile protection and law enforcement agencies.
SBCOE’s Early Literacy Certification Program’s goal is to support educators as they work with our youngest children to develop those critical literacy skills, says the release.
Participants in the Early Literacy program receive four children’s books, as well as a set of alphabet paired cards that were incorporated into the training. As part of the certification, participants will create an Early Literacy Plan that they will implement with the children they work with currently, the county office of education said.
Anyone interested in earning their Early Literacy Certification can contact Keith Thorbahn at [email protected] or Mai Cruz at [email protected]. Space is limited.
