Does No Child Left Behind support programs to help children build language and pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten?
Yes. The Early Reading First program supports preschool programs that provide a high-quality education to young children, especially those from low-income families. While early childhood programs are important for children’s social, emotional and physical development, they are also important for children’s early cognitive and language development. Research stresses the importance of early reading skills, including phonemic awareness and vocabulary development. Early Reading First supports programs to help preschoolers improve these skills. These programs can include professional development of staff and identifying and providing activities and instructional material. Programs must be grounded in scientifically based research, and their success must continually be evaluated.
