Childhood literacy program to expand after Birmingham approves funding
The city of Birmingham has committed $1 million to expanding Birmingham Talks, a citywide program promoting early childhood literacy. With the funding, the organization is expected to more than triple its reach from 1,000 to 3,500 students across all 99 neighborhoods over the next three years.
“By 2025, approximately 20% of children who start school in Birmingham City Schools will have participated in one of these programs,” said Birmingham Talks Executive Director Ruth Ann Moss. “Funds from the city will go to scaling our program to provide more curriculum, more technology, more coaching, and then also high-quality books and educational toys for all the children who participate.”
Birmingham Talks, founded in 2019 and initially funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, provides personalized coaching and technology to parents, caregivers, teachers and child care centers to assist the development of vocabulary in children aged 0 to 5.
At a press conference Tuesday, Moss showed a toddler’s onesie with a specialized pocket for a “Fitbit for words” — a small piece of technology that records the number of words children are hearing and the number of times they interact with adults.
“Way before kids can pick up a pen or read a Russian novel, their brains are built by having verbal interactions with adults,” Moss said. “Children need to hear about 21,000 words a day for optimal brain development, and children who grow up in poverty are typically exposed to 4 million fewer words than their more affluent peers.”
Data generated by the “Fitbit for words” is used to create a strategy for increasing a child’s verbalization.
According to a press release from Birmingham Talks, “children who started the program in lower-talk environments increased the amount of conversation they were exposed to by approximately 50% over the course of 12 weeks.”
“When they get to school, at minimum they’ll be at grade level,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin, who added that he hopes the funding announcement “is a message to philanthropic leaders around the country: if you invest in Birmingham, we will build on that investment.”
Pastors and staff from underground church are arrested in China
China has in recent years arrested and detained Christian leaders of underground churches, who are not registered with the government and under its control.
U.S. measles cases continue to climb, with outbreaks across the country
In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated schoolkids are under quarantine after being exposed to measles. Across the U.S., total case counts could be even higher than the official number.
Who are the 20 Gaza hostages believed to be alive and expected to be released?
After more than two years in captivity, 20 hostages abducted during Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, are set to return to Israel.
Vance says administration will keep fighting to send National Guard to Chicago
On Saturday, a federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration from deploying federalized National Guard troops in Illinois.
4 killed and 20 more injured in shooting at a bar in South Carolina, sheriff says
A mass shooting at a crowded bar on an idyllic South Carolina island has left four people dead and at least 20 injured, officials say.
“It feels terrible.” Federal worker’s family tightens their belts as shutdown drags on
With no end in sight to the funding standoff, financial anxiety is growing. One single mom in Colorado raided her retirement savings to get through the shutdown.
