How are the children?

Come away with me, if you will, across these Berkshire mountains and streams.  Come with me across oceans and borders, to the heart of Africa to the lands of Kenya and Tanzania, to the Maasai tribe, renowned as one of the world’s last warrior cultures.  I imagine you’d appreciate learning a greeting to use upon meeting our hosts so that you can make a connection with this fabled tribe.  Are you ready?  The greeting for “Hello, how are you,” is “Kesserian Ingera,” which loosely translated, means “And how are the children?”  Not hello, what’s up. Not I’m fine, thanks, and you?  Not your children, or mine, but the children.

The Chapter One early childhood development coalition has been asking this question, how are the children?  We come together out of a shared concern that 56% of children in the southern Berkshires are not reading proficiently by 3^rd grade.  Seventy-four percent of students who struggle to succeed in reaching this marker are far more likely to continue to struggle in school and in life.  We are a community who is prepared to implement strategies to improve literacy.  In fact, the first strategy developed by the Chapter One coalition was to improve the well-being and access to early learning for our kids, with the goal of ensuring each and every one of our children arrives at school ready for success.

How will we know if we are making a difference?  How will we know we are improving our children’s readiness for school?  How will we know what strategies are working?  In effect, we are now asking together, “How are the children?” To hold these goals and strategies in place, the Chapter One coalition has worked with all six south county school districts.  On April 30^th, eighteen teachers from five school districts spent the first of three evenings together to learn how to measure kindergarten readiness.  

Educators from Morris, Lee, Muddy Brook, New Marlborough, Richmond and Undermountain Elementary Schools gather to learn about the Brigance screening tool. Educators will use the screening tool to collectively measure kindergarten readiness in southern Berkshire County. 

In the weeks and months to come, we will learn important information about our children.  So, friends and neighbors, please join us, in greeting one another, in this ongoing dialogue of this most important question, “How are the children?”  Our futures, yours and mine, are dependent on us having this conversation, whether on Main Street, at the doctor’s office, in our parks, houses of worship, and places of learning. 

Amy Taylor

South County Community Liaison