Enhanced Literacy for Children and Parents
For over 42 years, Literacy Volunteers of Central CT has been a leader in helping adults in the greater New Britain region improve their lives through literacy.
Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut (LVCC) provides individual tutoring, family literacy, and parenting education to help individuals build English language and other basic skills.
In 2010, LVCC partnered with the YWCA New Britain and New Britain Adult Education to operate the Central Connecticut Family Literacy Center. Through the support of the American Savings Foundation and LVCC, parents are connected to the language and literacy skills needed to fulfill their role as their child’s first teacher and to support their child’s long-term academic success.
PARENTS AS THEIR CHILD’S FIRST (AND BEST) TEACHER
Parenting for Academic Success program, offered at the Family Literacy Center, provides classes for parents in English for Speakers of Other Languages, and helps them prepare to earn their General Education Diploma. Additionally, the program’s six-week curriculum has a strong focus on helping parents provide their children with the tools they need to succeed in school.
The program teaches parents ways to help improve literacy and academic success for their children. The Parenting for Academic Success program has a strong track-record, with 91% of parents indicating that they read more with their children. In addition, 98% said that the number of books in their home increased.
TALK TO TOTS
In 2020, Literacy Volunteers lead a city-wide effort to launch LENA, a new technology that can measure a child’s exposure to language. This “talking pedometer” recognizes and charts adult talk, child talk, ambient sounds (TV, radio), and conversational turns (talking back and forth with the child). Literacy Volunteers uses the LENA technology for their Talk to Tots program, piloted at the Hospital of Central Connecticut’s Family Enrichment Program.
Through Talk to Tots, parents are able to track and monitor interactive conversations; help their child reach important language and literacy developmental milestones; and prepare them for kindergarten. Building on its success, Talk to Tots is expanding city-wide, including the New Britain Housing Authority, The Human Resources Agency of New Britain, and the school district early school readiness programs.