The Knights of Columbus in Central Islip was filled with more than forty families who recently participated in a literacy intervention program. They were playing, singing, coloring, reading, and enjoying the end-of-the year celebration provided by the Eastern Suffolk BOCES Parent-Child Home Program. These parents and children are on the right track to school success.
Ms. Sarah Peck and Ms. Beatrice Gifford are ESBOCES Teacher Liaisons in the Central Islip UFSD and the Brentwood UFSD respectively. Ms. Peck said, “Trained Home Visitors from the ESBOCES Parent-Child Home Program visit families and bridge the achievement gap by working with low-income families building early literacy skills and language skills.” Home Visitors model reading and conversation activities by using educational books and toys. The Home Visitors help the parents to become their children’s first teachers and they help the children better prepare to succeed in school. Research has validated the success of this program and statistics indicate that families that participate in this home visiting program will have long-term success. Ms. Gifford said, “Over 30% of these children are more likely to graduate from high school if they are part of a home program than their non-program peers.”
Dr. Franklin Caesar Principal Central Islip High School and Sarah Peck
A parent speaks with Dr. Craig Carr, Superintendent of Central Islip UFSD
Dr. Craig Carr, Superintendent of Central Islip UFSD said, “It’s extremely important to catch children and parents at the early stage of parenting. It makes a difference in the family. Teaching parents to be a child’s first teacher will affect this generation and future generations to come.”
Spot visits the celebration. Spot is the dog from Eric Hill's children books Spot Bakes a Cake and Spot Can Count.
Andre Eaton, Dr. Carr, Sandra Townsend, ESBOCES Board member, Sara Wainwright, ESBOCES Migrant Education Outreach Program Coordinator, Dr. Caesar, Sarah Peck, and parent Roberto Argueta and his daughter standing by the train that's on the track to school success.
Andre Eaton Long Island representative from the National Center Parent-Child Home Program makes it a point to attend the year-end celebrations. He said, “We are very thankful the families allow us to come into their homes. We prepare students to go to Pre – K and kindergarten. Our hope is that starting children to read early will better their future.”The Parent-Child Home Program has served families for over 40 years and has a proven record of accomplishment and empirical evidence of school readiness and school success and positive parent-child interactions.
