Across Georgia, third grade reading scores have been consistently low. In fact, 58% percent of students are not reading at grade level. This is just one of the many alarming challenges students face across metro Atlanta.
At Hands On Atlanta, we’re focused on solving this public health crisis through our impact programs and strategic partnerships. A prime example of both, is the roll out of our Talk With Me Baby @ Work program. Since April 2018, we’ve been spreading the importance of language-rich interactions between parents or caregivers and their children. This work directly supports the research that indicates the number of loving words a baby hears in the first 3 years can make a huge difference.
The hope is that putting more of an emphasis on the first few years of life will improve kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores, and life trajectory. Hands On Atlanta offers this program to companies and businesses as a free lunch and learn series as a way for organizations to support their working families. The Talk With Me Baby @ Work program consists of three, one-hour sessions:
Session One: Responsive Interactions, Brain Development and Developmental Milestones
Session Two: Becoming your child’s conversational partner, Serve & Return, Parentese, and Tier 1 & Tier 2 Words
Session Three: Interactive Storybook Reading
Delta and Talk With Me Baby @ Work
One of our early adopters and biggest supporters of our Talk With Me Baby @ Work program has been Delta Air Lines. Their passion to provide their staff the opportunity for stronger family dynamics and literacy nutrition led to a full-time employee volunteer facilitator, Kamaria Morgan, to lead the 3 Talk With Me Baby @ Work sessions.
““I thought that this was an excellent opportunity to incorporate this literacy program here at Delta because even as we were going through the sessions, I felt like I messed up on a couple of things. I wish I had this program when I was raising my children, and at Delta, this literacy nutrition program is very beneficial to all parents who attend.”
The program and trainings were led by our Family Literacy Programs Manager, Amanda Bisgaard, and the Delta facilitator was given all the resources for success. Resources include easy and innovative ways parents and caretakers can help end the word gap. And you guessed it, there’s even an app for that!
Children will now be prepared to start school, parents have direct access to the knowledge needed and the resources readily available, and the Working Families Resource Group reinforces their commitment to their members and extended families. It’s a win-win for the parents at Delta.
““The culture here at Delta, we’re all one family, always helping each other out, which is one of the many purposes of the Working Families Business Resource Group. We try to bring in those additional resources that employees may not have access to or aren’t aware of. We do this to help the parents and families faced with different dynamics in their lives, like raising young children and taking care of older parents or it’s a single mom needing resources or a family with a recent diagnosis of autism or cancer in their family. We bring in those additional resources for them.””
The “train the trainer” model is working, and not only at Delta, but at companies and organizations across metro Atlanta. The program is something parents and caregivers want, and with Hands On Atlanta offering this as a free service, there’s nothing to lose for companies!
Ready to bring Talk With Me Baby @ Work to your company or organization? Reach out to Amanda (contact details below) or click here for more information on how to get started.
To learn more about bringing TWMB@W to your office or organization, reach out to:
Amanda Bisgaard, Family Literacy Programs Manager
p: 404.979.2800 e: abisgaard@handsonatlanta.org
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