As originally broadcast October 25 on Alabama Public Television …
Small Magic helps low-income preschoolers maximize their school readiness and future economic mobility through language development. Helping Small Magic reach more Hispanic families is a past star of BUZZ: Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama.
At birth, a baby’s brain is about a quarter of the size of an adult’s, doubles in her first year of life and by age 5, her brain is nearly full grown. Most of us don’t appreciate the remarkable growth that occurs in all these neurons and synapses, especially when it comes to language.
But with the prevalence of screens in our everyday lives, many children are not receiving the necessary interactions that help to develop early literacy skills. Beyond that, for those coming from low-income areas with parents working multiple jobs and longer hours, this skill is even harder to develop.
Thankfully in Birmingham, Alabama, there’s a nonprofit helping parents and teachers be more intentional with the interactions they have with their kids to nurture early childhood literacy. Its work is rooted in science … along with a little magic.