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Thursday, April 5th 6:00 - 7:30 PM
The Space@GreenStar
700 W Buffalo St, Ithaca, NY
The Program... • Exciting Progress Updates • Envisioning Together • New! Talk it Up! • Plans Moving Forward
Award-winning author and illustrator of The Dot, Ish, and The Dreamer, will read aloud his fabulous new children’s book and share wisdom.
Our community's own reading and singing heroes will debut a new song release:
live and in person
Stay for continued conversation with friends & neighbors
1. What information surprised you, was a good reminder, or strengthened your understanding of the word challenge?
2. What is important for families, caregivers, and everyone to know and understand?
3. How might we share what is most important in a way that everyone understands why it is important, and will be inspired to do it? What can we all do to help make words and word play part of everyday life for all children.
4. What might you do in your personal, professional, and civic roles to promote and support everyone talking to babies and children– in families and in communities?
"THIRTY MILLION WORDS: BUILDING A CHILD'S BRAIN" by Dr. Dana Suskind
Welcome to The Multi-Community Read of Thirty Million Words. Count on 14 weeks of excitement and inspiration, from January 25th to May 3rd, with two weeks for each chapter–one week for reading and one week for focus on action. Join in anytime!
Thirty Million Words is our catalyst and our connector. It will serve to shine light on the challenges our children face when they haven’t heard enough words, and lift us toward all families, caregivers, and community members knowing that just as we nourish children’s bodies with food to grow, it is essential we nourish our children’s minds with words.
Our shared reading of the book also begins our collective action. Everyone plays a crucial role in the Talk It UP! Word Movement which will propel us from understanding to creative action!
The Multi-Community Read of the book Thirty Million Words will serve as a national community-literacy pilot to be shared by Children’s Reading Connection once it is fully developed. Let us know if your community is interested!
*Book Discussion Groups begin the week of Feb. 12 with Chapters 1 & 2. No pre sign-up needed.
MONDAY MORNINGS
Thirty Million Words for Families--Too Busy To Read the Book
10:30 - 11:30 AM
2/26, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9
TCPL / Thaler Howell Room
101 E. Green St., Ithaca
Facilitated by: Sarah Smith, Pre-K Teacher / Parent of 2
MONDAY AFTERNOONS
4:00 - 5:00 PM
2/26, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9
Kendal, Conference Room C
2230 N Triphammer Rd, Ithaca
Facilitated by: Dr. Marguerite Uphoff, Pediatrician
TUESDAY AFTERNOONS
5:00 - 6:00 PM
3/13, 3/27, 4/10, 4/24
Southworth Library
24Main St. Dryden
Facilitated by: Diane Pamel, Library Director
TUESDAY EVENINGS
5:00 - 6:00 PM
2/27, 3/13, 3/27, 4/10
Barnes and Noble
614 S. Meadow St., Ithaca
Facilitated by: Darcy Bedore, Community Volunteer & Brigid Hubberman, Children's Reading Connection
TUESDAY EVENINGS
6:00 - 7:30 PM
2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20
Village at Ithaca
609 W. Clinton St, # 109 Ithaca
Facilitated by: Devra 'Thana' Rivkin, Human Development Specialist & Tommy Miller, Human Service Administrator, Social Justice Artist
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS
7:00 - 8:00 PM
2/28, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11
Buffalo Street Books
Dewitt Mall, Buffalo Street Side
Facilitated by: Dr. Audrey DeSilva, Pediatrician
Lisa Swayze, Writer, General Manager BSB
THURSDAY EVENINGS
6:00 - 7:00 PM
3/1, 3/15, 3/29, 4/12
TCPL / Thaler Howell Room
101 E. Green St., Ithaca
Facilitated by: Luanne Andersson, IC Professor, Speech Language Pathology & Sallie Pure, Independent Reading Specialist
Please let us know if you would like to start a discussion group.
1. What information surprised you, reminded you, or strengthened your understanding?
2. What is important for families, caregivers, and everyone, to know and understand?
3. How might we share what is most important so everyone understands why it is important, will be inspired to do it, and will have the skills? What can we all do to help make words and play with words part of everyday habits and everyday life for all children?
4. What might you do in your personal, professional, and civic roles to promote and support everyone talking to all babies– in families and in communities?
• Keep it
• Pass it along to someone to read–especially to an expectant family!
• Or return it to Tompkins County Public Library
• Like us and Follow us on Facebook.
• Share ideas you have and initiatives you are undertaking to promote and support more everyday talking to babies and children.
• Find book discussion groups to join on Facebook, or let us know what you need to start your own.
• Watch for a mid-read event and a culminating event in May!
We know that talking to babies and children is essential for brain development, and that the quantity and quality of words children hear are critically important factors in developing babies’ brains and their well-being. Yet already by the age of three there is an astounding difference of 32 million words in the number of words some children have heard. And children hearing fewer words are often hearing more negative words, which can create a “belief gap" in self-esteem that can impact children’s learning and sense of self for life.
New understanding and inspiration from the book read will result in creative and collective action for increasing quality and quantity of words spoken to children- in families, in organizations, and in our community. Our ultimate goal is to together create a new social norm- that all families will know and be inspired to nourish all babies and children with an abundance of loving and wonderful words everyday, everywhere, starting at birth and even before!
Interested organizations are invited to read TMW together with any number of their staff, volunteers, and/or board members. Organizations are invited to look for new ways to encourage and support families and those caring for children, to increase the quantity and quality of words spoken with children within their organizations, and throughout the community. There will be book discussion groups for individuals to join, and books will be available at public libraries and community locations.
If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please email us, or call 607.227.3360.
Learn more about author Dr. Dana Suskind, the activist for baby talk, in this NPR article.
The Multi-Community Read of TMW is national pilot model initiative being created in partnership with Children’s Reading Connection. Once developed fully it will be shared with communities across the country.
Funding for The TMW Read has come from outside of Tompkins County, from an anonymous donor dedicated to the CRC vision of all children having what they need to love and learn to read.
Special thanks to community organizations, libraries, schools, colleges, and businesses who are joining in, and who and are committed to helping create a Word Movement!
Ballet and Books
Buffalo Street Books
Building Bridges
Catholic Charities
Cayuga Birthplace Cayuga Medical Center
Cayuga Medical Center Neonatology
Cayuga Women's Health
Child Development Council
CLASP Community Learning and Service Partnerships
Cornell Cooperative Extension
Family Reading Partnership
GIAC - Greater Ithaca Activities Center
Groton Elementary School
Groton Public Library
ICSD Early Childhood /Pre-K
ICSD Early Childhood Special Education
ICSD Special Education
ICSD Speech-Language Pathology
Ithaca College Education Department
Ithaca College Speech-Language Pathology Department
Ithaca Youth Bureau
Jenkins Center for Hope and Recovery MHAA
Jillian's Drawers
Lansing Community Library
Mama's Comfort Camp
Newfield Public Library
Northeast Pediatrics
PROS Program TC Mental Health
Racker Early Childhood
Southside Community Center
Southworth Library in Dryden
TC Health Department Early Intervention
TC Health Department MOMS
TC Health Department WIC
TCA Head Start
Tompkins Cortland Child Care Center
Tompkins Cortland Community College Early Childhood
Tompkins County Public Library
TST BOCES
TST BOCES Exceptional Education
Ulysses Philomathic Library in T-burg
Village at Ithaca
314 East State Street, Suite 200
Ithaca, NY 14850
