U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the award of more than $108.8 million in Early Reading First grants to 28 local education agencies and other public or private organizations in 18 states and Washington, D.C., to improve the school readiness of young children, especially those from low-income families. The Department of Education awards Early Reading First grants to school districts and non-profit organizations to improve the instruction and environment provided by preschool programs supported by the Title I program, Head Start, and publicly funded or subsidized child care.

“We know that the years prior to kindergarten are critical in shaping how children learn and succeed in school,” Secretary Duncan said. “Increasing the number of high-quality, early learning opportunities through programs like Early Reading First, especially for low-income families, improves a child's chance for success in school and in life.”

In March, as President Obama announced his agenda for improving educational outcomes from cradle through career, he challenged states to develop a cutting-edge plan to raise the quality of their early learning programs. Programs like Early Reading First and the proposed Early Learning Challenge Fund legislation, a part of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, will help states raise the bar for early learning programs.

The President's Fiscal Year 2010 budget request includes a $50 million increase for Early Reading First and would support up to 52 new projects to help early childhood programs meet the challenges of preparing pre-school children for success in school by providing high-quality, research-based experiences in language and early literacy. Existing programs like Early Reading First and Head Start, along with the proposed Early Learning Challenge Fund legislation—a component of the zero-to-five initiative—will be of great importance as the Administration pursues the President’s commitment to expanding support for quality early childhood education.

“Language and literacy development are critical to school success,” says Jacqueline Jones, Ph.D., Secretary Duncan's senior advisor for early learning. “Providing high-quality learning experiences for at-risk children can ultimately increase graduation rates, set more children on the path to college and careers, and support our nation’s long-term economic competitiveness.”

Early Reading First supports the transformation of existing early learning programs into high-quality centers of educational excellence that ensure low-income children have the early language, cognitive and pre-reading skills that prepare them for continued school success. These programs improve preschool instructional materials, professional development and classroom environments through scientifically proven practices. Early Reading First programs also help young children develop language, phonological awareness, print awareness and knowledge of the alphabet necessary to begin to learn how to read.

For more information about Early Reading First, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html. A complete list of the grantees follows:

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