BY MARY ELLEN MAUNZ
Grandparents, did you know? 90% of brain development happens by age five. Research shows that exposure to early reading is even more important to a child’s success in school than family income or education level. In most children there is special interest in words, sounds and letters from age 2 1/2 to 4 1/2. During this time it is easy and enjoyable for a child to build literacy skills. Their little minds are like sponges–they absorb everything. And they love it. We like to say that “learning to read is child’s play” because when presented with the right materials at the right time they enjoy a language activity as much as their favorite game or toy.
In our own research, we were astounded to learn that children make up their minds about whether they will succeed in school or not by the middle of first grade. And that decision is based largely on whether they can read or not.
Just like you, we want to help give your grandchild the best chance to become all that he or she is meant to be. And, we believe it all starts with reading. We have spent 40 years developing and refining our early reading program to make it easy, fun and engaging for grandparents and parents.
You play a vital role in their young lives!
- To help them build their foundational skills in early reading
- To help build their self-esteem by mastering language
- To give your grandchild a gift that lasts a lifetime
Education isn’t what it used to be. But YOU can make the difference.
The American educational failures of earlier years have come back to haunt us. In 2014 the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which tests tens of thousands of America’s school children, announced their results for 2013. 60% of graduating seniors could not read for comprehension; about 75% of them could not successfully do higher math.
“We find that a substantial share of the US population lacks the basic skills needed for a wide range of middle- to high-wage jobs. Workers with limited functional literacy account for a disproportionate share of low-wage, prime-age workers.”
– “Functional Literacy and Labor Market Outcomes” by R. Lerman and S. Schmidt.
Don’t wait – give your grandchild an edge in the early years.
Mary Ellen Maunz M. Ed, Founder, Program Director
Mary Ellen has 40 years of experience in Montessori, teaching at the 2½ to 6 year-old and the 6 to 12 year-old levels.