Noble Trust Funds Literacy Initiative by Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
The John H. & Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust (Deutsche Bank Trust Co, NA as trustee) has provided over $56,000 to fund "Countdown to Kindergarten," a program to train children's librarians in disadvantaged communities to improve school readiness among young children.
NORWALK, Conn., Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The John H. & Ethel G. Noble Charitable Trust (Deutsche Bank Trust Co, NA as trustee) has awarded a grant of $56,140 to Norwalk, CT-based non-profit Smart Kids with Learning with Disabilities (SKLD) for a program to improve school-readiness among children in disadvantaged communities, partnering with local libraries.
The "Countdown to Kindergarten" program will provide training to children's librarians in their home libraries, teaching them the importance of pre-literacy skills for children to be ready to learn to read. Each library will then host two 3-session programs with a group of children, ages 3-5, and their parents. Special emphasis will be placed on recruiting families whose children have been identified with a disability, or who are at high-risk for poor educational outcomes.
An initial training session for librarians was conducted in October by renowned literacy expert, Dr. Margie Gillis, president & founder of Literacy How and research affiliate with Haskins Laboratories. "Children are hard-wired to learn language, but they need to be taught how to read," said Dr. Gillis. "Parents are a child's first teacher."
A pilot session, currently underway at the Westport Library in Westport, CT, has contributed to the development of the program. Programs will be initiated at libraries in Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Stamford, CT. Funds from the Noble Charitable Trust will provide expert training for librarians and materials, including books and alphabet sets, for participants.
"Parents in disadvantaged communities often don't know how to help their young children be ready for kindergarten," said Jane Ross, executive director of SKLD. "Working with local libraries is an excellent way to reach these families."
About Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc.
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorders (ADHD) via its educational programs, award-winning website and blog, and free e-newsletter at http://www.SmartKidswithLD.org. The organization also educates the public about these children's gifts and talents. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, Anne Ford, and The Southport School Head Dr. Benjamin N. Powers are Honorary Board members. Henry Winkler, Golden Globe award-winning actor, director and author, serves as the organization's Honorary Chairman.
SOURCE Smart Kids with LD
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