For years, the “opportunity gap” between middle income, largely native English- speaking, and lower income, native Spanish-speaking, children has been a source of serious concern, for parents and teachers alike, in the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District – and the greatest predictor of future academic struggle or success. By the time children are old enough for preschool, it’s often very late to catch up: many students from Spanish-speaking households, especially ones where parents do not have strong literacy skills, enter preschool with a literacy and numeracy deficit, lacking foundational vocabulary and number recognition in their home language. This translates into additional challenges in learning English. “Kids get to preschool and may not have learned about books. You can begin to imagine the implications of that for learning,” says Puente Academic Director Suzanne Abel. That could change very soon. In June, the Los Altos-based Heising-Simons Foundation approved funding for Puente’s brand-new Family Engagement Impact Initiative. This two-year grant is a game changer. It will allow Puente and its principal partner, the La Honda Pescadero Unified School District, to strengthen the bonds between home and school, while promoting early literacy and numeracy to all South Coast families – well before children enter preschool. The Initiative is a bold effort to provide strong early care and education for the youngest and most vulnerable … Continue reading Raising readers: Grant to help transform early childhood development on the South Coast