BORN LEARNING

Quality early learning experiences for all children are a key driver of school readiness, vital to improving high school graduation rates and critical to an individual’s economic success and ability to contribute to their community. A child’s early years, from birth until school age, are a unique period of growth and development. In fact, 85 percent of the brain’s development happens before kindergarten. Learning to walk and talk, beginning to think independently, understanding how to communicate, and learning to control impulses and emotions – are all critical early learning skills that build the necessary foundation for successful future learning.

Decades of research show that high quality early childhood experiences, inside and outside the home, can make a significant difference for children, creating a vital pathway for success in school and life. Children’s brains are being hard-wired in the first five years for future learning: communications, social/emotional skills and critical early learning skills are formed in these early years.

  • Research in neuroscience shows the critical impact that relationships between children and caregivers have on the developing brain during the first months and years of life. 
  • Brain development research also demonstrates that social, emotional and intellectual learning are inextricably linked. Supportive relationships and healthy interactions actually shape brain circuits and lay a foundation for academic and developmental successes. Developing positive behaviors during the early years is critical, as brain circuits are actively developing during that time.
  • Positive early learning experiences, at home and in other settings, can make a significant difference for children from the moment they’re born.

Just as a solid foundation can support a house, the fundamental support of early learning makes a tremendous difference in the long run. It impacts not just how well children perform and socially interact in kindergarten, but whether they’ll be reading well by third grade, succeeding in eighth grade or graduating high school. The skills we look for in workers – critical thinking, problem solving, and working on teams – are all built on the foundation of those early years. On the other hand, lack of access to quality early learning experiences and other resources to support positive child development contribute to the readiness gaps evident on the first day of kindergarten. In addition, chronic stressors in the early years – like persistent poverty, poor health and nutrition, family instability, and homelessness – can dramatically weaken that foundation.

Parents are a child’s first teacher, but many families don’t have the time or access to encourage early learning or feel they don’t have time to do what it takes to prepare their child for school.

Born Learning is designed to support those families.

Born Learning History

In 2005, United Way Worldwide, United Way Success By 6, Families and Work Institute and the Ad Council launched the Born Learning campaign to develop easy-to-understand, research-driven resources to make it simple and easy for parents, grandparents, informal caregivers and professional child care providers to understand child development and use “everyday moments” to help children start school ready to succeed.

To create these materials United Way Worldwide and the Ad Council conducted extensive public opinion research to test the “everyday moments” concept. That research included 16 focus groups across the country, with working and stay-at-home moms of various incomes, dads, grandmothers and Hispanic moms and grandmothers. Participants knew their interactions with the children they cared for mattered but didn’t always know exactly what to do – and said they didn’t have time to do what it takes to support early learning. The last thing they needed was more pressure! But the concepts – like playing silly games with a baby while folding laundry – encouraged them, gave them confidence, and even provided ideas to try out with their family. They understood the concept that supporting early learning can be a fun and loving interaction that can be done in the day-to-day.

The educational material also underwent rigorous consumer and market testing during development. In focus groups, parents and caregivers spelled out what they needed help with, and what kind of products they’d be most likely to use. Early childhood professionals weighed in as well, and the content of the material was approved by a national panel of early childhood development experts.

Today, Born Learning looks different in every community, and it has also evolved at United Way Worldwide. We’ve added new resources like volunteer literacy kits, family literacy guides, the Born Learning Academy - a series of six parent workshops focused on the Born Learning foundation of everyday learning – and much more.

Reading is the foundation for learning, and yet too many children enter school without even the basic skills they need to learn to read. Research has shown that children learn best when they are engaged and having fun. Designed to make reading interactive and enjoyable for young children while also engaging volunteers, teachers, family members and other adults, United Way has developed Literacy Kits for several children’s books.

How to Organize a Literacy Kit Event

United Ways can tailor the experience of creating literacy kits to fit the interests and needs of volunteers as well as beneficiaries – the schools, organizations or individuals and families who receive the kits. This resource includes key steps in the organization process. Read More

 

Did you know that 90 percent of our brains are “hard-wired” by age 5?

Early learning is a critical part of childhood development—and it can happen anywhere, at any time. That’s why we developed United Way Born Learning Trails.

The Born Learning Trail turns everyday experiences into teachable moments. 

This interactive, paved pathway contains signs in English and Spanish with instructions for simple games that will turn an excursion at the park into fun learning moments for young children.

The trail’s theme of Watch! Stop! Learn! Play! encourages parents and caregivers to follow the child’s lead, building the child’s curiosity and confidence, and reinforces learning opportunities present in everyday life.

The Born Learning Trail supports language, literacy and social skills development, and reminds us that learning can be fun!

Why Born Learning Trails?

We know increased investment in pre-K development fosters healthy growth, decreasing the likelihood of children being affected by various other adversities later on in life. Because of the power of early learning, United Way is making big investments in improving Early Grade Level Success. Born Learning Trails are a great and FREE early learning resource for families!

 

Visit a Born Learning Trail

 
  • War Memorial Park
    706 N 7th, Ponca City, Ok 74601

     

  • Lake Ponca Walking Trail
    1688 L.A. Cann Dr.

Activities for 20 Books

Included are simple exercises to improve literacy skills, and templates that volunteers can use to create props, manipulatives, games and other activities related to the book title or theme. United Ways are encouraged to create literacy kits that include at least one set of manipulatives, along with tips, instructions and other materials tailored for the intended user of the kits. Create your own activity guides using this template.

All titles can be paired with a Born Learning Academy workshop. Most all titles are available in Spanish. In addition, instructions for the reader (tips and activity instructions) are also available in Spanish.

One in every five students drops out of high school and some 1.2 million students drop out each year. High school dropouts are less likely to earn a living wage, vote or volunteer in their communities and are more likely to be unemployed, uninsured, on welfare and in jail. United Way has put a stake in the ground around education, income and health. We focus on these three building blocks to expand opportunities for people to succeed: a quality education that leads to a stable job, enough income to support a family through retirement and good health.

We’ve set out a national education goal of cutting the dropout rate in half by the year 2018. That takes all of us working together, so United Way is working in 1,200 communities across America to mobilize individuals, communities and organizations to work collectively so that more students graduate high school prepared for college and career.

More and more communities are tackling high school graduation by honing in on one of the critical benchmarks: third grade reading proficiency. It’s a make-it-or-break-it point. Children who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.

There are proven methods to boost students’ reading skills in the early skills, rooted in strong families, strong communities and strong schools. However, lasting change requires broad community participation and collaboration. First to ensure that local planning reflects local perspectives, conditions, data and assets and then to implement those plans successfully over the long haul.

You may be starting education impact work, or you may be broadening from school readiness to a birth-to-8 scope (an increasingly prevalent definition of early childhood). Wherever you are on that continuum, you will find tips, tools and templates to help you mobilize your community around early grade reading.

But keep in mind, the solution isn’t programs or spending. What will move the needle is analyzing local data, understanding underlying issues and engaging with the community and diverse partners to develop thoughtful solutions rooted in research-based strategies. At the same time, it’s critical to elevate the issue and to inform and educate the public about this challenge. Plus, we must offer individuals and organizations the opportunity to be part of the solution in meaningful ways, whether that’s through giving, advocating or volunteering. This toolkit is organized into the essential elements that communities need to tackle to do all of that.

Video on this page: https://youtu.be/es5FV7MakXI

 

United Way Strengthening Families (UWSF) is a framework that guides local United Ways and communities in their development of initiatives designed to promote strong families, support healthy child development, and minimize the risk for child abuse and neglect. UWSF is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and is based on the Strengthening Families approach developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP). After a thorough review of the research the CSSP concluded that the following five protective factors contribute to strong families by addressing the challenges and difficulties parents face and providing them tools to resolve issues without violence or neglect:

 

  • Parental Resilience. Being strong and flexible every day and in times of crises.
  • Social Connections. Having people to provide emotional support and share parenting ideas.
  • Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development. Understanding how children grow and learn and what parenting skills fit what stages.
  • Concrete Support in Times of Need. Getting the help parents or children need in times of stress or crisis.
  • Social and Emotional Competence of Children. Developing the ability of children to communicate their feelings and enhance their social skills.

 

Some groups have identified a sixth protective factor which may also be useful in your community work:

  • Nurturing and Attachment. Parenting with love and respect supports the growth and positive life experiences of children.

 

Each of these protective factors offers families and children some defense against distress. However, together they combine to create a solid foundation of knowledge, parenting skills, and support that can help all families thrive during everyday circumstances as well as persevere during times of stress or crisis.

Tools for Parents

These tip and fact sheets can help you and your family take advantage of everyday learning moments. Learning happens all the time! Download the resources to learn more about sleep habits, how to encourage reading, understanding feelings, and more.

Your Child @ Birth to 5 Series

This ages and stages series includes 11 fact sheets for children from birth to age 5.

Download in English | Spanish

Everyday Learning Moments

These resources can help parents to understand and set routines for their children. The 10 tip sheets in this series cover topics like: making reading fun, understanding feelings, fun and games with songs, activities for dad, sleep diary, and much more.

Download in English | Spanish

Fact Sheets

This series includes full-color magazine-style layouts that feature information, questions and answers and recommendations on topics ranging from sleep habits to developing manners.

What Type of Child Care Mothers and Fathers Differ Role Might Parents Play What is Intelligence Recognize Child Illness Play Encourage Literacy Develop Manners Understanding Children Sleep Habits Stages of Sleep

These resources for parents include various fact and tip sheets with topics ranging from ages and stages to daily learning moments. United Ways have successfully engaged families using these resources because they allow for basic information sharing, as well as the beginning of a conversation with families and community-serving organizations.

 

As you plan your distribution, think about where your target families go. Where do they shop, work, play or pray? Where can you connect that parent with Born Learning materials or messages? It’s especially critical to work with other groups and agencies in the community who are already communicating with families – they may be able to print a piece or two of Born Learning material at their expense and fold it into their existing outreach efforts. 

 

For example, the county health department could print/distribute one piece to county health clinics. The local hospital may be able to include a piece on infant development in its new parent packets. The local Child Care Resource & Referral agency can send copies to child care centers for their use and/or distribution to parents. 

 

As you think through potential distribution sites, think of your material distribution as a conversation with parents, grandparents and caregivers. In some places, it’s a one-way conversation: you place materials where you know parents go. In other places, it’s a two-way conversation: you work with trusted advisors like child care providers or pediatricians to include Born Learning messages and materials into their interactions. That could mean displaying material at a child care center or doctor’s office (like the Your Child @ series) and asking the center directors or doctors to use the pieces in their work with parents. 

 

Recommended distribution partners:

  • Local health department
  • Social service agencies and professionals working with families
  • Childcare professionals and organizations
  • Websites
  • Events and workshops
  • Parks
  • Libraries
  • Museums
  • Schools
  • Faith-based locations
  • Laundromats
  • Retailers (grocery stores, coffee shops, department and discount stores, etc.)
  • Community centers
  • Ball parks
  • Major employers’ employee lounges/break rooms

 

Your Child@ Birth to 5 Series

This ages and stages series includes 11 fact sheets for children from birth to age 5. 

Download in English | Spanish

 

Everyday Learning Moments

These resources can help parents to understand and set routines for their children. The 10 tip sheets in this series cover topics like: making reading fun, understanding feelings, fun and games with songs, activities for dad, sleep diary, and much more.

Download in English | Spanish

 

Fact Sheets

This series include full-color magazine-style layouts that feature information, questions and answers and recommendations on topics ranging from sleep habits to developing manners.

 

Your Child@ Birth to 5 Series

This ages and stages series includes 11 fact sheets for children from birth to age 5. 

Download in English | Spanish

Everyday Learning Moments

These resources can help parents to understand and set routines for their children. The 10 tip sheets in this series cover topics like: making reading fun, understanding feelings, fun and games with songs, activities for dad, sleep diary, and much more.

Download in English | Spanish

Fact Sheets

This series includes full-color magazine-style layouts that feature information, questions and answers and recommendations on topics ranging from sleep habits to developing manners.

 

Orange Triangles