Early Learning Focus

Early Learning Focus brings developmentally-appropriate training and materials to educators and families of young children in New Orleans. Because education is a key pathway out of poverty, we also work to create and nurture a seamless system of care and learning for underserved children through community partnerships, programs and family engagement.

The Early Learning Focus Reading Buddies Program was developed in response to the large achievement gap at Plessy that reflects the achievement gap in the city as a whole.  Volunteers meet weekly for 45-60 minutes with struggling students to share positive reading experiences.  They are not “teaching reading skills” but rather sharing a love of books, both for the information books impart and the wonderful stories they contain.  Volunteers use Early Learning Focus’ LETS Read Literacy Bag program, which has been an enormous success at the school.  The program is a literacy-based “homework” program centered on positive family involvement in shared reading that has been adapted for use by volunteers.  Not only will volunteers be given books that interest their young buddies, but also they will also receive simple suggestions for activities that follow-up on the reading in all subject areas, in particular reading skills. We have also developed a partnership with Urban Strategies at Bienville Basin and will be expanding the Reading Buddies Program to Bienville Basin as a afterschool program for young learners, again utilizing the materials from LETS Read.  The “300,000 Hours” volunteers will be a great addition to this project.  Because this part of the Program is not school-based, we expect that it will continue throughout the summer as well.