Our Programs — Every day, Every way! Early Literacy Project
During 2004, with generous funding from the Benedum Foundation, the West Virginia KIDS COUNT Fund studied how young children learn to read and identified national and state models for early literacy. The results of that research were published in a groundbreaking report: The Building Blocks of Literacy: How We Lay the Foundation for Literacy and Why It Is Important to West Virginia. In 2005, with the support of corporate partners, additional funding from the Benedum Foundation, and individual donations from our loyal supporters, KIDS COUNT has developed a community-focused public awareness campaign about the importance of early literacy. In 2005, KIDS COUNT conducted a groundbreaking survey of West Virginia to determine their awareness, attitudes and behaviors regarding early literacy. The survey was augmented by a series of 12 focus groups. The focus group tool was used to further probe attitudes and behaviors and to test messages and messengers for the awareness campaign. KIDS COUNT developed an audience-driven intervention which consisted of a toolkit for parents and childcare providers reminding them to work early literacy concepts into their everyday routines. The results of the eight-month project included significant gains in the amount of time parents and child care providers spent reading to, rhyming with and asking questions of young children. The project also demonstrated significant positive shifts in attitudes about the kinds of activities that can help lay the foundation for learning to read such as talking at mealtimes, playing with everyday items and giving children hugs and kisses.