Kindergarten Readiness
For children raised in low-income homes, disparities in learning begin to emerge as early as 9 months, and the gap continues to widen as they grow older (ChildTrends Report, June 2009). There is a clear achievement gap in Linn and surrounding counties between low-income students, defined as those who qualify for Free or Reduced Price Lunch (FRLP), and higher-income students before children even enter school. Only 50% of low-income kindergartners are proficient in early literacy skills, in contrast to 72% of their higher-income peers (Iowa Department of Education: Basic Educational Data Survey, Address and Enrollment files, 2009).
Unfortunately, 73% of Americans wrongly believe that if children enter kindergarten unprepared, they will catch up in elementary school. (“Survey Reveals Americans Unaware of Long-Term Consequences Preschool Children Face Without Early Literacy Skills,” Sept. 2009). Instead, research has shown that the longer a parent waits to help a struggling reader, the harder it will be for the child to read at grade level.
To address these gaps, interventions must start early in children’s lives. Research has shown that 44 of 50 students who were poor readers at the end of first grade remained poor
Source: County Empowerment FY 09 Annual Reports
Early Literacy Skill Proficiencies by County
Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Planning, Research, Development and Evaluation, Basic Educational Data Survey, Address and Enrollment files.
