NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global learning
company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) and Too Small to
Fail, in partnership with the National Head Start Association
(NHSA) and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC),
announces STRIVE for 5, a hands-on bilingual (English/Spanish)
program designed to provide early educators with instant tools and
ideas to promote children's language development and improve the
quality of early learning environments. The goal of STRIVE for 5 is
to equip early educators with concrete resources to support the
growth and development of young children from infancy to age
five—along with hands-on materials and strategies to engage parents
and families.
The program is divided into five user-friendly segments, with
key information and tools to help educators create a
vocabulary-rich early learning environment and enrich daily moments
with activities like talking, reading, and singing. Created with
educators in mind, STRIVE for 5 offers a variety of resources,
including:
- An Educator Guide that takes educators through each step
of the program and provides opportunities to record
observations;
- A series of videos for each week of the program which
features experts in the early childhood field;
- A deck of colorful and engaging "Little Things Cards"
with early literacy activities that educators can integrate into
children's daily routines and activities; and
- Mini wall posters with age-appropriate activity
suggestions on how educators can incorporate talking, reading and
singing into everyday moments such as diaper time, nap time, play
time and snack time.
A robust program website (www.striveforfive.com) will provide
educators with access to all the program materials, as well as
engaging, interactive resources, including journaling pages and
instant tips to engage young learners.
A particularly unique and engaging feature of STRIVE for 5 is
the forum hosted on the program website, which provides a place
where early learning educators can discuss the program with their
peers from across the country, ask questions, and give each other
ideas about best practices.
"We know that children are born learning and that each day
provides countless moments to create language-rich environments and
nurture curiosity across all of the spaces where children learn,
play and live," said Linda K.
Zecher, President and CEO, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
"We are immensely proud of Strive for 5, and are confident that the
tools, strategies and tips provided will be a valuable resource for
early child educators and the families within the learning
communities they serve."
"We are particularly enthusiastic about the flexibility STRIVE
for 5 offers early learning practitioners," said National Head
Start Association executive director Yasmina Vinci. "STRIVE for 5 offers
easy-to-use and adaptable program elements that can be incorporated
into centers where and when it is convenient, augmenting the
quality care and education offered to the young children and
families Head Start serves."
Centered on brain science research, STRIVE for 5 reflects
decades of data that demonstrates that the early months and years
of a child's life offer a critical opportunity to shape his or her
future.
"We know millions of children spend a significant amount of time
outside the home in formal and informal education and care
settings. There is a clear opportunity and need to provide early
educators with innovative tools to create a nurturing and
stimulating environment to promote early language development,"
said Patti Miller, Director of
Too Small to Fail.
"STRIVE for 5 aims to create a collaborative, supportive
environment in which early learning professionals in family child
care can absorb and share their wealth of knowledge about creating
a quality and impactful early learning experience," said
National Association for Family Child Care Executive Director
Eva Daniels.
About Too Small to Fail
Too Small to Fail, a joint initiative of the Clinton
Foundation and The Opportunity Institute, is leading a public
awareness and action campaign to promote the importance of early
brain and language development and to empower parents with tools to
talk, read, and sing with their young children from birth. Today,
almost 60 percent of children in the
United States start kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind
their peers in critical language, math, and social-emotional
skills. Through partnerships with pediatricians, hospitals,
faith-based leaders, community based organizations, businesses,
entertainment industry leaders, and others, Too Small to
Fail is meeting parents where they are to help them prepare
their children for success in school and beyond. Whether at the
pediatrician's office or the playground, Too Small to Fail
aims to make small moments big by creating opportunities for
meaningful interactions anytime, anywhere.
Learn more at www.toosmall.org. Find resources for parents
and caregivers at www.talkingisteaching.org or on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/2smalltofail), Twitter (@2SmalltoFail), and
Instagram (www.instagram.com/2smalltofail).
About National Head Start Association
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is a nonprofit
organization committed to the belief that every child, regardless
of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in life if
given the opportunity that Head Start offers to children and
families. Since 1974 it has worked diligently for policy changes
that ensure all at-risk children have access to the Head Start
model of support for the whole child, the family, and the
community. NHSA is the untiring voice for more than 1 million
children, 200,000 staff, and 1,600 Head Start grantees in
the United States each year. Its
mission is to coalesce, inspire, and support the Head Start field
as a leader in early childhood development and education.
Learn more at www.nhsa.org, or on
Facebook www.facebook.com/NatlHeadStart, Twitter
(@NatlHeadStart) and
Instagram (@NatlHeadStart)
About Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global learning company dedicated to changing
people's lives by fostering passionate, curious learners. As a
leading provider of pre-K–12 education content, services, and
cutting-edge technology solutions across a variety of media, HMH
enables learning in a changing landscape. HMH is uniquely
positioned to create engaging and effective educational content and
experiences from early childhood to beyond the classroom. HMH
serves more than 50 million students in over 150 countries
worldwide, while its award-winning children's books, novels,
non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout
the world. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
About National Association for Family Child
Care
The National Association for Family Child Care
(NAFCC) is the professional association promoting
high-quality early childhood experiences in family child care
settings. NAFCC represents more than 5,700 family child care
provider members and works on behalf of the hundreds of thousands
of family child care programs operating across the country. Across
the country, family child care homes provide high-quality programs
for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, and
children with special needs. NAFCC has led the family child
care accreditation program for over 25 years. Accreditation
is not just a mark of quality, but a demonstration of commitment to
continuous quality improvement. Family child care is an essential
component to advancing high-quality early care and education
opportunities in the United
States. NAFCC is working to prioritize the role of family
child care and promote access, affordability and quality of early
care and education.
Learn more at www.nafcc.org and follow us on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/nafcc) and on Twitter @nafcc
Contact:
|
Sally
Aman/NHSA
|
|
aman@a2pr.com
|
|
202.262.8003
|
|
|
|
Clinton Foundation
Press
|
|
press@clintonfoundation.
|
|
212.348.0360
|
|
|
|
Leah
Riviere/HMH
|
|
leah.riviere@hmhco.com
|
|
617-351-5020
|
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151116/287902LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-national-program-offers-unique-tools-for-early-educators-to-promote-young-childrens-brain-and-language-development-300270641.html
SOURCE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt