80% OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS DURING THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF LIFE. DURING THESE EARLY YEARS OF BRAIN GROWTH, INFANTS AND TODDLERS ABSORB MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION FROM INTERACTING WITH OTHERS. THIS EARLY LEARNING BECOMES THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL FUTURE LEARNING.
Lynnette Marshall
Nyack Basics Coordinator
(845) 353-7062
lmarshall@nyackschools.org
Dr. Winsome Gregory
Asst. Superintendent Curriculum, Instruction & Personnel
(845) 353-7052
wgregory@nyackschools.org
The Nyack Basics Campaign is helping to ensure all parents and caregivers know what they can do for babies to learn and thrive. with a community goal: "All Students Read by 3rd Grade". This District-lead, community-wide initiative seeks collaborative partners with the business, civic and faith communities, preschools, libraries, community centers, elected officials. We are an active member of a national campaign conceived by the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University.
The correlation between students’ failure to read by the end of the 3rd grade and involvement in the criminal justice system is undeniable. Students who are unable to read by the end of the third grade are also four to six times less likely to graduate high school. High school drop-outs are 63% more likely to be incarcerated than college graduates and 85% of all youths who interface with the juvenile courts have been found to be functionally illiterate (Northeastern University, 2009). Ultimately, the school to prison pipeline and mass incarceration devastate lives and cost the government over $182 billion every year (Wagner & Rabuy, 2017).
All students reading by the third grade on a national level would save billions of dollars, disrupt the school to prison pipeline and enable us to prepare students to succeed in a global economy. Ultimately, it is a moral imperative that all students have equitable opportunity to pursue their aspirations in an increasingly complex world.
To learn more, visit the Nyack Basics Video Library (An Kreyol).
Learn more about how babies and toddlers thrive when their world feels loving, safe and predictable. Respond with smiles, words, and touch to help them see, hear, and feel your love. You will help them develop a sense of security and self-control.
Learn more about how babies learn language from the moment they are born. Respond to their sounds, and later, their words. Connect with eye contact and a loving tone of voice, while pointing to help them know what you are talking about.
Learn more about how every child’s brain is wired for math. Talk about numbers, shapes, patterns, and comparisons as you go about your routines together. Watch your child learn to love math.
Learn how babies are like scientists who love making discoveries. Watch to see what interests your child, then encourage their curiosity and help them learn when they play and explore.
Learn how reading turns kids into confident thinkers. Make books a regular part of your relationship from the very beginning. With infants, point at the pictures and speak with excitement. With toddlers, just make it fun.
