C.O.O.R. Intermediate School District has been awarded a Great Parents, Great Start grant through the Michigan Department of Education to support the development of a comprehensive early childhood system in Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda, and Roscommon counties. C.O.O.R. is working with existing services for families with children birth to age 5 to help meet the needs of the community. Many agencies in the area are collaborating to make this project a sure success. Central to the project are some newly developed and increased support for existing playgroups. Great Start Family Days will be held in each of the 4 counties. READY kits (Read Educate and Develop Youth) are available to families through C.O.O.R. and many other public agencies. The message that will be heard all over the area is that "education begins at age birth."

The grant is part of the state-wide Great Start project, supported by Governor Granholm. The belief behind Great Start is that a child's success in school is largely determined before they ever walk through the doors on their first day of kindergarten.

A typical child is born with over 100 billion brain cells called neurons. It is the experiences a child has in the first three years of life that connect these cells to one another. Experiences such as reading to a baby, holding and rocking him, singing, and playing with a child create a vast network of communications in the brain. After a child reaches school age, these connections thicken as they are supported through positive learning activities. By the time a child is ten years old, the unused connections die out, leaving only those that have been strengthened over and over.

This does not mean we need to start quizzing our one year olds with flash cards, or buying the most expensive gadgets to help our children learn. Remember it is those everyday experiences where children learn, such as talking about your day, playing ball, drawing and coloring, listening to music, playing in the yard, and going for walks together. It is as simple as showing your child their world, commenting on colors and shapes around the house, listening to birds and chipmunks chatter, hopping-one, two, three, across the yard. The opportunities are endless to make a difference in a child's life!

If you would like to know more about Great Start or the Great Parents, Great Start grant, including local family days and playgroups, visit the links above. early childhood development and a monthly calendar of events for children birth to age five. You may also call Michele, Early On Coordinator, for more information at (989)275-9537.