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| University of New Mexico to Receive $2.35 Million Grant for Early Reading First |
January 24, 2003 |
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UNM among first-ever recipients of this award
Albuquerque, NM-Congresswoman Heather Wilson today announced a first-ever Early Reading First grant of $2,354,711 will be awarded to the University of New Mexico to support local efforts to improve the language and pre-reading skills of young children.
The Early Reading First initiative was implemented to transform existing early education programs into centers of excellence that provide high-quality, early education to young children, especially those from low-income families. It builds upon the president`s Good Start, Grow Smart initiative to improve early learning.
“We’ve made tremendous progress with the Leave No Child Behind Act that Congress passed, and this grant program will help us do even more,” said Wilson. “With increased focus on early childhood education we can give our kids a solid foundation to build from.”
The Early Reading First Grant Program has five aims:
-- Professional development for teachers, based on scientific research, to enhance children`s language, cognitive and early reading skills;
-- High-quality language and literature-rich reading activities drawn from scientifically based reading research, to help children obtain the fundamental knowledge and skills they must have;
-- Age-appropriate cognitive learning for preschoolers that covers oral language, phonological awareness, print awareness and alphabetic knowledge;
-- Screenings and assessments to determine the skills children are learning in order to prevent reading failure; and,
-- Improving and integrating all aspects of an instructional program -- including materials, activities, tools and assessments.
Throughout her time in Congress, Wilson has focused much of her efforts and attention on public education. She has visited hundreds of classrooms throughout her district to visit with students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Wilson also runs a high school internship program in her Albuquerque office where close to 100 students have learned critical office skills in a professional environment.
Funding for Early Reading First was authorized under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. For more information about Early Reading First, go to: www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/earlyreading.
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