A new statewide program is spreading the message that children—even babies just delivered into the world—have the brainpower it takes to begin learning.
Gov. Kay Ivey and Secretary of Early Childhood Education Jeana Ross on Tuesday announced Born Ready, the effort focused on raising awareness among Alabama parents of the importance of early brain development and quality early childhood learning experiences.
An amazing 95 percent of a child’s brain develops in the first five years of life, highlighting the vital importance of helping children develop early on, even before kindergarten, according to the research that fuels Born Ready.
“Your child is born ready to learn, and you’re born ready to teach,” say Gov. Ivey. “The Born Ready movement will inspire parents to use everyday events as teaching moments. Every Alabama child – no matter their geographic location or socioeconomic status — will benefit from this movement, starting in the home and extending to all early childhood education settings.”
For 13 consecutive years, Alabama’s voluntary First Class Pre-K program has been recognized as providing the highest quality pre-school education in the United States. Born Ready seeks to build on that success by providing parents with the information and resources they need to help their children learn and prepare for school and lifelong learning.
The innovative BornReady.org website has information and easy-to-follow, science-based tips designed to show parents how they can prepare their children from the moment they are born for a future in which they reach their full potential. The site also informs parents on what to look for in a quality early childhood education, sparking inquiry and demand for quality in their community.
Born Ready is funded through a competitive federal grant (Alabama’s federal Preschool Development Grant, Birth Through Five) to provide parents the knowledge and understanding of excellence in education for their children. For more information visit BornReady.org.
