Helping More Children Thrive By Third Grade
What helps children start strong?
Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive by third grade. That journey begins long before the first day of kindergarten, with high-quality pre-K classrooms where children learn, grow and build the skills that prepare them for lifelong success.
Helping more children reach that milestone is one of the priorities of the Charleston Thrives Education Working Group. Through partnerships that connect schools, families, educators, and community organizations, the group is working to ensure Charleston youth have meaningful, well-supported pathways from early learning through school and beyond.
One of those partners is the Tallahatchie Early Learning Alliance (TELA). As a member of the Education Working Group, TELA leads the Tallahatchie Early Learning Collaborative (ELC), bringing together educators and early learning partners to strengthen pre-K classrooms, expand access for families, and provide ongoing professional learning that helps children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
How do we know those efforts are making a difference?
Progress is measured not only by participation, but by results. Independent reviews help show whether classrooms are providing the high-quality learning experiences children need to thrive.
This summer, the Mississippi Department of Education reported that the Tallahatchie Early Learning Collaborative met all 228 monitoring requirements with no findings or corrective actions. Charleston Elementary, Eva Covington Head Start, and West Tallahatchie Head Start also earned Successful Rate of Readiness designations, recognizing that they meet strong standards for preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
Why does that matter?
When more children begin kindergarten ready to learn, they are better positioned to succeed through third grade and beyond. These results demonstrate that Charleston’s investment in high-quality early learning is producing measurable progress for children, families, and the community.
That is what Making Progress Together looks like: community partners working together, measurable results, and more children starting school ready to thrive.
To learn more about TELA, explore early learning resources, and sign up for the TELA newsletter, visit www.wearetela.org.
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, caregiver, educator, or community member, you can help more children get a strong start.
If you see progress happening across Charleston, we hope you will share it with me and with each other. Email cheryl@sonedna.com.
Charleston Thrives is a community-led effort supported by SonEdna Foundation that brings people together to recognize progress already happening across Charleston and carry it forward together.
Through shared experiences, conversations and participation, Charleston Thrives helps people see their place in the future of the community and how they can help shape it.
Focus areas include Government & Civic Engagement, Education, Economic Opportunity, Health & Well-Being, and Culture & Arts.
Follow how Charleston Thrives is Making Progress Together: Facebook.com/sonednafoundation | Instagram.com/ sonednafoundation | and at Linkedin.com/company/sonedna-foundation.
