Charlotte, N.C. (April 13, 2017) – Read Charlotte announced Thursday that a text messaging service, called Ready4K, is now available (in English and Spanish) to give parents and caregivers the information they need to help build children’s literacy skills by the time they start kindergarten.
“We believe this could be a game changer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg kids and families,” said Executive Director Munro Richardson. “In a survey last year, Read Charlotte found that very few families clearly understand what children need to be ready for school. Ready4K could be part of the solution.”
In a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University, preschool children of parents who received Ready4K texts gained two to three additional months of learning by the end of the school year in important areas of literacy.
Ready4K breaks down the complexity of getting kids ready for school into small steps that are easy to achieve. In addition, it provides continuous encouragement and support to families over an entire school year.
Families that opt into the free service will receive three text messages each week with timely facts, tips and encouragement (based on their child’s age) to help them get their children ready for school by maximizing existing family routines in fun and easy ways. Parents can sign up for Ready4K for children at any point from birth through five years. They will receive age appropriate advice and tips until they turn six years old.
Example texts (also offered in Spanish):
FACT: Preschool is when many children begin learning how to write letters. Kids can get ready for this big step by making letters with everyday objects.
TIP: During snack time, have a letter building party. Can your child make a T, X, L& N out of snacks like cheerios or grapes? What about curvy letters like S?
GROWTH: Keep making letters to prepare your child 4K! Before dinner, try using toothpicks, tinfoil, or straws to make all of the letters in your child’s name.
To sign up, families can text READCLT to 70138.
Ready4K’s curricula are aligned to several state’s early learning standards (NC, CA, TX, FL, NY) for 3-and 4-year old programs and Common Core State Standards for the 5-year old programs. Ready4K uses the state standards as a baseline for determining which topics to cover for3-5 year old children. Ready4K uses research-based standards to provide developmentally appropriate advice about health, socio-emotional development and language for children birth to2 years.The specific tips and advice increase in difficulty and complexity over time and new topics are introduced once foundational skills have been covered.
There is no cost for families to use Ready4K, apart from any fees for text messages that they might receive from their mobile phone service. In family focus groups at two CMS Title I elementary schools in January, families told Read Charlotte they use text messaging services on their phones and that texts are included in their mobile service plans.
This is the first large-scale implementation of Ready4K in the Carolinas. It is currently being used statewide in Georgia and Florida, as well as other cities like Dallas and San Francisco.
Ready4K is funded through a grant from Read Charlotte’s Transformation Fund. In support of Read Charlotte’s goal of doubling the percentage of third grade students reading on grade level by 2025, the organization’s Transformation Fund promotes innovation, collaboration, and seeds new programs to address unmet early literacy needs across Mecklenburg County.
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