The U.S. Department of Education is inviting local education agencies and public, non-profit or private organizations serving preschool-age children to apply for approximately $94 million in grants to improve young children's preparation for reading. This Early Reading First grant program supports local efforts to enhance the oral language, cognitive and early reading skills of young children—especially those from low-income families. A notice inviting applications for these grant programs is posted in the Federal Register. The pre-application transmittal deadline is April 22, 2004.

"We know that strong cognitive development is critical to help children learn when they begin school," Secretary Paige said. "Those who teach and care for young children need the best possible preparation to help children learn. We are glad that Early Reading First can provide teachers with training and resources to prepare preschool-age children for future reading and school success."

As part of the No Child Left Behind education reforms, Early Reading First is President Bush's initiative to transform existing early education programs into centers of educational excellence that provide high-quality education to young children. The program builds upon the president's Good Start, Grow Smart initiative to improve early reading.

The No Child Left Behind Act is the bipartisan landmark education reform law designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility, giving parents more options and teaching students based on what works. Under the act's strong accountability provisions, states must describe how they will close the achievement gap and make sure all students achieve academic proficiency.

The Early Reading First program includes the following components:

• professional development for teachers, based on scientific research, to enhance children's language, cognitive and early reading skills;
• high-quality language and print-rich environments to help children attain the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary for optimal reading development in kindergarten and beyond;
• instructional programs, activities and materials that are grounded in scientifically based reading research and support the development of young children's oral language, phonics awareness, print awareness and knowledge of the alphabet; and
• screenings and assessments to determine the skills children are learning in order to prevent reading difficulties.

More information about the grant and the application process is available on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/legislation/
FedRegister/announcements/2004-1/030804a.html.

Additional information about ED funding opportunities, including discretionary grant application packages, is available on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/fund/landing.jhtml.

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