Math/Literacy for preschoolers/The Mouse is in the House

Literacy and math initiatives have been identified as priorities and a vital component of kindergarten readiness in the Domains of Language and Communication and Cognitive/General Knowledge.  Only 63.4% of Union County kindergarteners scored average or above average in the Language and Communication Domain on the Brigance compared to 70.9% in Kentucky.  The screening showed that only 29.2 % of our entering kindergarteners scored in the average or above average in the Cognitive General Knowledge Domain which includes math and literacy compared to 34.9%  in Kentucky.  Our goal is for the Family Literacy Math Fair known as "The Mouse Is in the House" to be a launching pad enabling children with help from families to increase their literacy and math levels.  “Since language development is fundamental to all areas of learning, skills developed early in life can help set the stage for later school success.”(Reading to Young Children, www.childtrendsdatabank)   Increasing literacy awareness and enhancing parental skills are ways to help parents make literacy a priority at home.

The Union County Early Childhood Council has hosted “The Mouse is in the House” math/literacy event for 8 years. The event is held at the Union County High School and has averaged 300+ preschoolers and their families. Each child receives appropriate books and parents receive valuable information on Kindergarten Readiness. Exit evaluations continue to show increased knowledge of participants.