The Right to Read shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.
Run Time: 71 Minutes
Available with Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles
Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong
There’s an idea about how children learn to read that’s held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work. It’s an exposé of how educators came to believe in something that isn’t true and are now reckoning with the consequences — children harmed, money wasted, an education system upended.
Network for the Development of Children of African Descent exists to strengthen the cultural connections within communities of African descent that promote, sustain and enhance the healthy development of our children.
Our goal is to positively impact the cultural, spiritual, and academic development of children
by working holistically with young people, parents, educators, and the community. We do our work by strengthening 4 Critical Cultural Connections – Identity, Family, Community and Systems.
https://www.ndcad.org/
PARENTPOWERED TEXTS
- Available toll free for families with children between ages 0-5
- Weekly fun facts, easy tips, and ideas on how to promote your child’s learning
- Evidence-based, whole child support
- Messages are tailored specifically to your child’s age
- Receive texts 3 times a week for 52 weeks
- Research shows when parents participate in this program, their children are more prepared for kindergarten
- Texts are available in English, Somali, and Spanish
The more you talk, play, read and sing to a child daily, the smarter their brain becomes. Every little moment counts whether you’re a parent, grandparent, caregiver or friend.
Reading Corps and Early Learning Corps: Students who are strong readers by the end of third grade are positioned to be strong learners the rest of their lives. But in the United States, more than half our students reach fourth grade without learning to read proficiently. Together, we can change this! The amazing thing about our program – we train ordinary people to make an incredible impact as tutors.
Reach out and Read works with doctors and nurses across Minnesota to bring the brain-building power of books to young children and empower families to read together.
https://reachoutandreadmn.org/
Decoding Dyslexia Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) non-profit grassroots organization. Our Vision is for students to have equitable literacy instruction that meets their educational needs so they can reach their full potential. Our Mission is to raise dyslexia awareness, empower families to support their children, and improve resources for students with dyslexia in Minnesota’s educational environments until all can read.
The Rock ‘n’ Read Project is a Minnesota 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that exists to engage all children in singing and developing basic music skills to enable their brains for reading and learning.
Learn to read rhythmic notation in the fun game-world of Rhythm Rhythm Revolution! RRR is for musicians of all ages and everyone seeking to improve brain health and coordination. The first levels of the game are easily attainable by even the youngest beginners. And the rhythmic difficulty gradually increases with each level until we’re reading TWO RHYTHMS SIMULTANEOUSLY in the context of a brain-enhancing dance. RRR dance puzzles will change your brain! Crossing the midline + tapping opposite sides of your body + intense mental challenge + cardiovascular exercise = a big boost in neurogenesis and brain hemisphere integration!!
Help Me Grow provides resources for families to understand developmental milestones and learn if there are concerns. This helps families take the lead in seeking additional support or referring their child for a comprehensive, confidential screening or evaluation at no cost.
Minnesota’s Help Me Grow is an interagency initiative of the State of Minnesota Department of Education, Department of Health and Department of Human Services. We partner with all local service agencies.
Minnesota’s quality rating and improvement system for early childhood programs. Promote the importance of high-quality inclusive care and education programs and practices to all Minnesotans
Offer professional growth for child care and early education professionals through cutting-edge, culturally-responsive training, education, and coaching
University of Minnesota Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement
CAREI is a research center that serves as the link between research and practice in Minnesota schools, PreK-16, and other agencies interested in applied educational research. We are experts in research, evaluation, literacy, and assessment with a wealth of diverse and interrelated experience.
Our vision is to become the premier hub for making research accessible and actionable to ensure equitable outcomes.
https://carei.umn.edu/
Dedicated to Fostering Healthy Brain Function of Children Across the Lifespan. The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) brings together University experts to advance brain health from the earliest stages of development across the lifespan, to support each person’s journey as a valued community member.
Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, was passed and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on May 24, 2023. The goal of this legislation is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learner and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals in order to meet grade level proficiency.
https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/READ/
Head Start and Early Head Start are early childhood programs for pregnant women and eligible children from birth to age 5. Families are an important part of the program. Head Start and Early Head Start work with you to connect your family to early education, health and community services that support the learning and development of your child, and family well-being.
Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit organization that selects and invites youth – all of whom have unique talents, interests and dreams, and face multiple systemic obstacles – to be paired with a paid, professional mentor called a Friend. We hire and train Friends to support our youth from as early as age 4 through high school graduation – 12+ years, no matter what.
Create and support mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
Since 1997, Open Arms has provided community-based support during pregnancy, birth, and early parenting to nurture strong foundations to last a lifetime. Through doula care, childbirth education, lactation counseling, and new parent support, we help birthing families achieve important milestones, strengthen parent-baby bonding, and boost long-term parenting skills.
Doctors for Early Childhood
We will communicate about and advocate for the lifelong importance of early childhood care and education to the public, lawmakers, government officials, educators, healthcare professionals, organizations, companies, corporations, and any with the power to create change for the better in pursuit of our vision.
PeaceMaker Minnesota’s mission is to help schools to be safer places, free from bullying and harassment, and to help youth learn positive relational skills like empathy, respect, cooperation and how to resolve conflicts peacefully.
The Minnesota Character Council consists of volunteers from the private, public and nonprofit sectors who share a commitment to advocate for positive character and ethical leadership development.
The Advocate is a fictional tale of Ryan Arenz, a retired middle-class widower. He volunteers for a program where he advocates for Wanda, a single mother living in poverty, and her young son Marshawn. Although out of his element, Ryan is tasked with ensuring ‘Marsh’ is prepared for school, feels he belongs, is on a level playing field with other kids, and has a fighting chance to succeed and stay in school.
Once a week, all the children in the pre-K daycare meet along with their parent(s) and the other advocates. What happens in this diverse group is surprising. Things don’t always go smoothly for Ryan, Wanda, and Marsh.
The story is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. This is an important novel at this time when we need to be brought together rather than further divided.