5 Steps To Five is a demonstration program working with parents and their infants in groups with trained facilitators, who will model ways of interacting with the babies to build bonding with the parents and verbal and social skills, better preparing them for school. Using the steps in the logo-Nurture, Talk, Play, Read, Explore, parents learn the importance of beginning at birth as the child’s first and most important teachers. Objectives for the Parents: To affirm the strengths of parents and encourage them in: interacting with their babies, and in enriching the life of their families talking to their babies about objects and activities around them using books and play with materials that we will give them to aid the child in learning creating socialization opportunities such as visits to libraries, museums and parks. Objectives for the Children: To develop language and curiosity in preparation for academic achievement as they enter school: with adequate social and emotional skills
with the vocabulary and comprehension on a par and comparable to children from more educated and advantaged families. A baby’s brain from birth to 3 is at it’s most receptive to learning at any time in life
Numerous studies show children from disadvantaged/low-income households often are failing in school, due to a lack of enrichment from birth on. These children fall behind as they enter Kindergarten, and are usually not able to catch up with their peers. They may become discouraged, truant, have failing grades, drop out, move towards delinquency and even become incarcerated. Financial studies show that the investment in early education will benefit the child and the family, school classes and teachers, and the community in savings to society at large.
