Continuing a long and strong tradition of meeting over the Presidents’ Day weekend, the 53rd Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus convened in Albany starting February 16th. LINC recognizes the essential role that our New York State legislators play in setting the city’s education agenda and we were there to remind policymakers that learning to read starts long before a child sets foot in a classroom.
The intrepid Albania Jimenez, LINC’s Senior Director of Family & Community Mobilization, was joined by Harineta (Neta) Rigatos, LINC’s Digital Strategist. Together they teamed up to explore the events and informative panels available to Caucus participants. One special stop was a presentation on the Science of Reading, hosted by two Brooklyn Legislators: Senator Roxanne Presuad and Assemblymember Joanne Simon. Although the panel focused on instruction for school-age children and LINC focuses on children below the age of six, we were delighted that literacy was on the docket.
LINC’s programming prepares parents to support their children on their journey to proficient reading through a series of workshops tiered to age-specific audiences: parents of infants (birth-1), toddlers (2 & 3-year-olds) and preschoolers (4 & 5-year-olds). LINC’s workshops align with the evidence-based and scientific foundations behind this approach. Science of Reading synthesizes what we have learned about how our brains work to develop a clearer understanding that instructors can use in reaching and teaching children. Aligning LINC’s workshop materials with the Science of Reading prepares families for what their children will encounter in their classrooms and empowers parents or caregivers to support their children at home with a confident understanding of the concepts being taught at school.
George and Abe and all the Presidents would be proud of the hard work taking place to improve access and equity to literacy.
Spread the word and register for LINC’s latest workshops at www.lincnyc.org/programs.
