Facts:

The 2011 U.S. DoE found 64% of Kansas 4^th and 8^th graders

performed below Proficient in literacy. 

Totaling 290,000 Kansas children, from all grades, each year.

“Reading is essential to success in society. We are concerned with the large numbers of American children whose educational careers are imperiled because they don’t read well enough to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive economy.” Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children.

“Although Kansans have increased per pupil spending by 79% the results have been dismal. There is little improvement and the majority of students are still failing to perform at proficient levels” Kansas Policy Institute.  Persons who have low literacy skills have poor educational, employment and health outlooks. They often don’t graduate from high school, earn barely above poverty levels, and are more likely to engage in criminal and anti-social behaviors. “Low literacy costs $463 billion each year in the U.S.” Proliteracy.

It’s critical that we prepare young children for literate lives. Research shows that children who start school behind are more likely to stay behind. The DoE has substantial evidence that early literacy intervention increases the children’s developmental and educational gains that reverberates throughout their lives. It’s imperative that we prepare children to enter school ready to learn.

FLC Initiative:

In 2003, Fundamental Learning Center (FLC) purchased the “rights” to train a pre-language and literacy program from the nationally recognized Neuhaus Education Center.  Since that time FLC has been engaged in training pre-K educators to understand research as well as a pre-literacy language based instruction, essential to the development of literacy skills.