- Talk to your child throughout your day to build language skills
- Healthy Habits: healthy choices promotes healthy lifestyles
- Read to your baby every day to build vocabulary and language
- Interact: learning through play, allowing for exploration and building relationships
- Value: time spent with your child is priceless
- Engage with your child in all that you do
All families who have a baby at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center - Appleton, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, ThedaCare New London, and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center - Neenah receive a literacy bag.
Our area school districts understand and are committed to offering each family the same opportunities to allow their child to THRIVE.
Participating School Districts
- Appleton Area School District
- Freedom School District
- Hortonville Area School District
- Kaukauna Area School District
- Kimberly Area School District
- Little Chute Area School District
- Menasha Joint School District
- Neenah Joint School District
- Seymour Community School District
- School District of New London
- Shiocton School District
In an effort to engage families with their children early on and also be prepared to meet the various needs of our communities of learners starting from birth, we have combined efforts with the many organizations including Omicron Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions (see their Facebook page for more information) , and the AASD Birth-Five Outreach Team to provide a literacy bag for each new family at our area hospitals.
Delivery of literacy bags began on May 23, 2008. Since then, over 13,000 literacy bags have been distributed to local hospitals.
The contents of the bag include:
- Two books - Rock-a-Bye Baby Reader & First 100 Words
- Milestones Moments
- Letter from Area School Districts
- Information on the benefits of reading to your child
- Community Resource Information
- Response/Survey - opportunity to receive ongoing support
We have developed the Take 5 to Help Me Thrive (previously known as Books for Babies) project because we believe strongly in the importance of reading and interacting with your child from the very beginning. The research is clear that the years between birth and age five are the most critical periods for brain development.
Reading to your baby not only helps strengthen your attachment/engagement, but also builds communication, listening, memory, and vocabulary skills. Therefore, we encourage all families to Take 5 to Help Me (your child) Thrive!
Promotion of optimal early brain and child development is essential for the health and well-being of children. 90% of a child’s brain develops during the first five years. A number of factors influence early brain development. These important factors include daily experiences, parent responsiveness, nutrition, physical activity, genetics, and love. source
Our young families have the opportunity from birth to nurture and foster their relationship with their child. Parents are the child’s first and most important teacher.
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