Baby Scholars pilot programs under way
Parents can help their children learn better and grow smarter, starting when they are babies. The first five years of a baby’s life are critical years for learning because that’s when the brain grows the fastest.
Parents Asked! Last year, local parents asked I Believe I Become for early learning experiences for their children. They said they wanted their children learning at the highest levels, starting as babies.
We Listened! Baby Scholars is here! It was especially designed with caring parents and their children in mind. Registration is open now.
Baby Scholars has three components.
Home Coaching for parents and babies
For babies 5 to 19 months, an experienced parent coach will come to your home and show you how talking, singing and making eye contact can help your baby’s brain development. To register children ages 5 to 19 months, call 391-6078.
Fun Workshops for parents and toddlers
For toddlers 20 to 36 months, join with other parents to see how fun games and silly songs will help your child learn how to follow directions, take turns, recognize sounds, and use more words. To register children ages 20 to 36 months, call 819-1406.
First School for preschoolers
For children 3 to 5 years old, a 12-week quality curriculum with trained teachers helps your little one learn colors, shapes, develop pre-reading skills and be ready for kindergarten. To register children ages 3 to 5 years, call 819-1406.
Success starts now!
Baby Scholars coaching, workshops and preschool are available free to families who live in the shaded area on the map below (or who live in one of the B2B zones) and who plan to send their child to Grand Rapids Public Schools.
Download the brochure (English) (Español)
Baby Scholars Partner Organizations
Each year, 1,400 babies are born in Grand Rapids’ central city neighborhoods.
Despite the outstanding efforts of multiple agencies, organizations and institutions over many years, most children from these neighborhoods still come to kindergarten unprepared.
Many of them never catch up. Starting early, even at birth, makes a difference.
With a connected, concerted effort that includes early childhood practitioners in Greater Grand Rapids, I Believe I Become partners want to make sure every 5-year-old from central city neighborhoods starts kindergarten on track.
To launch the work, Dr. Susan Landry, a nationally recognized expert in parenting and early childhood education, was in Grand Rapids June 16 and 17 to discuss recent research and best practices.
See the presentations and conversations.
Raising Baby Scholars: Best Practices, Real Results
Introduction and Keynote
Panel Discussion
Stronger Parents, Smarter Babies
Introduction and Keynote
Dr. Landry is the Founder and Director of the Children’s Learning Institute at University of Texas Health Science Center. A look into environmental factors that promote early cognitive growth and development led to her development of the framework for the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE), which led to the implementation of the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) in pre-kindergarten classrooms across Texas, as well as the PALS program.
Dr. Landry’s research programs have generated a large research database on early childhood. More than 70 peer-reviewed publications and over a dozen chapters describe the findings of these research studies. She is currently involved in using the knowledge gained from years of studying young children to help promote the national goals of early childhood literacy initiatives.
