Ready to Learn - What Parents Can Do

Colorin/Colorado

Information in both Spanish and English for parents who want to help their children become readers and to succeed in school.

Early Experience and Brain Development

Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the James S. McDonnell Foundation to create a research network on early experience and brain development. The focus is to bring together research in the fields of Developmental Psychology, Developmental Neurobiology and Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics and address what is truly known and not known about early experience and brain development. Provides links to Elsevier Science, National Academy for Child Development, Society for Research in Child Development, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UNICEF and links to psychological, neuropsychological, behavioral, and scientific publications.

Get Involved! How Parents and Families Can Help Their Children Do Better in School

Practical tips for parents.

Getting School Ready!

A project in King County to help parents, caregivers, early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers support children to get ready for school and help schools to be ready to meet the needs of their students.

Girl Power!

A national public education program to help encourage 9 to 14-year old girls to make the most of their lives. Sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services.

I Am Your Child Campaign

Launched in 1997 by Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, and Ellen Gilbert, “I Am your Child  is a national public awareness and engagement campaign to make early childhood development a top priority for our nation”.  Provides information about recent brain research, the ages and stages of early childhood development, and how early experience affects lifelong development. Includes bibliographies and recommended materials for parents.

Institute for Early Learning

News release regarding the creation of the Talaris Research Institute devoted to the study of early learning. Funded by Jolene and Bruce McCaw, the mission of the Institute will be to determine how the brain works in infants and young children and to provide parents, families, educators and daycare providers the information and tools to enhance early learning.

Mother Goose Pages

Tips on reading nursery rhymes with children of varying ages.

National Center for Early Development & Learning

NCEDL is a national early childhood research project supported by the US Dept. of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement. NCEDL focuses on the cognitive, social and emotional development of children from birth through age eight. This site provides links to research reports and publications.

Neurosciences on the Internet

The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing education on brain research through annual grants for continuing education. Provides access to the publications of the Dana Foundation and the Dana Alliance, as well as the latest news about the brain. Provides extensive information about brain disorders.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

NREL provides research and development assistant to education, government, community partners, business, and labor in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. Provides information and links to early brain and child development information. Parenting Resources/Washington State University

Provides both information and links to regional resources related to child care and early learning as well as other parenting related topics.

Parents and Children Learning Together

Family literacy services from the National Center for Family Literacy.

Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc.

Their vision:  “All parents will be their children’s best first teachers”; their mission: “The Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc. is committed to the development, promotion and evaluation of programs and public policies that provide family support and education through the earliest years of children's lives.”

Program for Infant/Toddler, Caregivers

Provides access to brain development information, language development and emergent literacy, and other early developmental topics on Powerpoint Slide Shows. The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers was developed by WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies in collaboration with the California Development of Education, Child Development Division.

Reading Rockets

Information about teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle with reading. Includes current research and articles from teachers and parents.

ReadyWeb

An outstanding resource for parents, "Ready Web is an electronic collection of resources on school readiness sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education." The Virtual Library: Tips for Parents includes all the U.S. Department of Education Helping Your Child series plus much more.