Early Reading Programs Give Young Children a Head Start in
Israel and the U.S. How often have you seen public service ads
encouraging parents to read to—and with—their young children, or
heard about family literacy programs that distribute books on a
regular basis to young families? Well, proof is in that programs
like these—both here in the U.S. and now in Israel— are working
and making a difference in the school readiness of the children
participating. In Israel, the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute
recently completed its evaluation of a Family Literacy
Initiative introduced four years ago by UJA-Federation of New
York, which has been implemented in some of the country’s most
disadvantaged areas. Programs developed through this initiative
by JDC-Ashalim and other organizations have been raising
parents’ awareness of the importance of promoting literacy and
language development from their children’s earliest years—and
providing practical training and guidance in carrying this out.
Implemented in Israel for Jewi