Why school readiness matters
	Parenting tips and tools
	News & events
	Frequently asked questions
	Making the Business Case
	Resources
Reading Information
	The reading connection
	Facts about reading
	Recommended reading
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For Donors and Community Leaders

• Early Learning Toolkit - Resource of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to help communities develop effective strategies and programs for children birth through kindergarten.
• United Way of King County Research and Reports - Includes surveys, progress reports, and community assessments conducted by United Way of King County.
• Melinda Gates speech on closing the early learning gap - This is the keynote address Melinda French Gates gave at United Way of King County's first annual breakfast, held at the Paramount Theatre on June 7, 2006.

For Parents & Caregivers

• Born Learning - a public engagement campaign that includes this Web site with downloadable parenting tips and information, made available through the efforts of United Way, United Way Success by 6, the Ad Council, Civitas, and Families and Work Institute.
• Getting School Ready! - guide booklets made available by the Foundation for Early Learning; available in multiple languages
• Guide to Early Learning Opportunities in King County - Made available by Child Care Resources

For Professionals

• American Educator - Spring 2003 issue on early language acquisition
• Getting School Ready! - guide booklets made available by the Foundation for Early Learning; available in multiple languages
• Kids Matter - contains links to the full report, executive summary, a presentation on the Kids Matter framework, a survey from the people who use the survey, and a document called "Healthy Children Learn" by Dr. Jill Sells, who consults with the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) program to help improve the health and school readiness of young children in the State of Washington.

Background Information

• Advocacy
  • An Early Childhood & School Readiness Action Agenda - SOAR. January 2004.
  • Head Start and ECEAP State Profile - 2001-2002.
  • Child Care in King County - June 2005 report on Child Care Resource & Referral in King County.
  • Citizens' Report Card on Washington State Education - League of Education Voters Foundation. 2006.
  • Kids Matter - contains links to the full report, executive summary, a presentation on the Kids Matter framework, a survey from the people who use the survey, and a document called "Healthy Children Learn" by Dr. Jill Sells, who consults with the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) program to help improve the health and school readiness of young children in the State of Washington.
  • High Priority: Early Care and Education of Young Children Birth to Five - League of Women Voters of Seattle. September 2005.
  • Seven Things Policy Makers Need to Know about School Readiness: Revised & Expanded Toolkit - by Charles Bruner, with Sheri Floyd & Abby Copeman. Child and Family Policy Center. January 2005.
  • The State of Washington's Children - the twelfth annual report on the state of Washington's children. University of Washington Human Services Policy Center. Fall 2005.
  • "Turning Point: Engaging the Public on Behalf of Children" - the published results of a public opinion study from the Ad Council, which reveals shifts in the public's attitudes about children.
  • Washington State Early Learning & Development Benchmarks: A guide to young children's learning and development from birth to kindergarten entry - The State of Washington. 2005.
  • "Investing in Children—An Early Learning Strategy for Washington State" - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • "Washington Learns: World-Class, Learner Focused, Seamless Education" - the final report of an 18-month comprehensive study of education in Washington, issued by The Washington Learns committee.
• Research on children
  • The Media Family: Electronic media in the lives of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. May 2006.
  • Children's Emotional Development is Built into the Architecture of their Brains - National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Winter 2004.
  • Early Childhood Development Research - collection of documents prepared by the Children's Defense Fund.
  • Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain - National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Summer 2005.
  • The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40: Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions. - by Lawrence J. Schweinhart. High/Scope Educational Research Foundation. 2005.
  • "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds" - a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that says free and unstructured play is healthy and-in fact-essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones, as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.
  • The NiCHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development: Findings for Children up to Age 4½ Years - National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Parent Child Shared Book Reading: Quality versus quantity of reading interactions between parents and young children - by Danielle Z. Kassow, Talaris Research Institute [attached PDF]
  • Public School Kindergarten Teachers' Views on Children's Readiness for School - National Center for Educational Statistics
  • Washington Early Childhood Development Facts - Children's Defense Fund. March 2005.
  • Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships - National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Summer 2004.
• Return on Investment
  • "The Effects of Investing in Early Education on Economic Growth" - by William T. Dickens, Isabel V. Sawhill, and Jeffrey Tebbs. The Brookings Institution. April 2006.
  • "Translating School Readiness: How to Talk about Investing in Young Children" -Voices for America's Children: Issue Brief. September 2005.
  • Invest in Kids Working Papers - A collection of papers issued by the Invest in Kids Working Group & Partnership for America's Economic Success, including:
    • "Child Interventions that May Lead to Increased Economic Growth" - Barbara Wolfe; Working Paper No 9, Invest in Kids Working Group, April 2006.
    • "Quantifying the Early Childhood Economy" - Dennis Winters and Theresa Field; Working Paper No 8, Invest in Kids Working Group, February 2006.
    • "The Fiscal Impacts of Universal Pre-K: Case Study Analysis for Three States" -Clive R. Belfield; Invest in Kids Working Paper No. 6, March 2005 (updated July 2006).

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