A North Carolina task force made up of early childhood and public school leaders developed this definition for school readiness: The condition of children as they enter school, based on five areas of development and learning, health and physical development, social and emotional development, and communication, and cognition and general knowledge.
The Cooperative Extension is providing educational programs to help parents to nurture their children’s growth in the five areas of development. These programs are offered in a variety of locations and times so parents can attend. Parents who attend workshops will receive a notebook of resources to help them work with their young children.
The Ready to Learn workshops are for parents, teachers or child care providers to learn how storybook techniques, active viewing of UNC-TV children’s programs and doing related activities help children love learning. The Ready to Learn workshops help parents to become more involved in their children’s learning, which builds everyone’s self esteem.
Ready to Learn workshops available now go along with the popular UNC-TV shows Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, Teletubbies and Between the Lions. Most Ready to Learn workshops last about one and a half hours to three hours.
Parents who are interested in attending or hosting a Ready to Learn workshop in their community should contact Karen M. Wicker or Shelia Regan at the Cooperative Extension office, 947-3188.
Karen Wicker is a family and consumer education agent with the Moore County Cooperative Extension.
