AL.com will continue to explore huge ideas for improving Birmingham in a series of stories.
Amber Martin prays over her 5-month-old son and sings to him every morning. She reads aloud, talks, and explains everything she sees and does throughout the remainder of the day.
After realizing the significance of the quantity of words her infant hears, she established this practice.
According to Small Magic, a free early literacy initiative in Birmingham that aims to increase the number of people learning to read, children’s brains develop at their highest rate between birth and age five, and they should hear 21,000 words each day for the best results. Small Magic is committed to supporting families as Alabama struggles to improve early literacy and the child care sector. On July 8, they will start their second literacy lesson.
According to Martin, the key is being able to begin studying at home and laying the groundwork for his assertion that education doesn’t have to be challenging. It need not be anything you’re afraid of or that frightens you. It can very well be something that interests you, that you adore, or that you want to do.
To increase children’s reading, the approach integrates data reports, technology, and weekly literacy coaching.
We are aware that this period of a child’s life is crucial, particularly in terms of their growth. According to Ruth Ann Moss, executive director of Small Magic, “we’re working really hard to capitalize and maximize on their potential early on.”
What is Small Magic and how does it work?
Birmingham was one of five U.S. cities where the literacy program was funded by a grant launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2018.
According to Moss, Birmingham has emerged as the program’s biggest implementer out of the five cities, which also include Detroit and Louisville.
By collaborating with families and childcare providers throughout the city, Small Magic is on course to assist 1,600 children this year, having started with 150 in 2019.
Participants in the two-month program wear a wearable gadget that tracks the number of words their child hears and the frequency of their back-and-forth conversations with adults.
After that, the gadget generates a data report. Using this report, Small Magic coaches collaborate with childcare providers and parents to find ways to improve learning and engagement.
Families can also receive free toys and books through the program.
“I’m talking to him all day,” Martin remarked. At three months, it was lovely to see him begin to coo back.
It simply serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to mold and shape from the very beginning and how crucial the first three years are for brain development.
It s rewarding, satisfying and I m grateful
According to a recent Small Magic research, 75% of families and 58% of child care workers reported reading to their kids more after taking part in the program.
D Bria and Patrile Stallworth reported that their kids have put down their iPads and taken up books since the literacy program began.
To identify areas where they might improve communication, the Stallworths track the number of words their 3-year-old daughter hears each week.
They claim that the curriculum has increased their kids’ creativity and level of engagement.
I was proud to watch it take place in front of us. It’s wonderful to watch them have an epiphany, have a light bulb go out, or use terms you didn’t realize they understood, regardless of how large or small they are, according to Patrile Stallworth.
Being able to experience those brief moments of approval is just incredibly fulfilling for parents. I’m taking action that will benefit my child. It’s fulfilling and rewarding, and I’m appreciative.
According to the survey, 84% of families stated that Small Magic has increased their enjoyment of spending time with their child, and 91% of caregivers stated that the program had a good influence on their classroom.
“These are things that I firmly believe are important for the future of children in our community,” Moss stated.
We ve got to invest in the first five years of their life
Alabama has long suffered from a literacy and child care crises.
Poor compensation for childcare providershas caused more workers to experience burnout and left some institutions understaffed.
In a recent poll conducted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 51% of Alabama child care workers reported feeling more burned out, and 27% stated their financial circumstances had gotten worse since the pandemic.
As a result, parents frequently have difficulty locating accessible and reasonably priced child care options.
According to the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, about 85,000 families in Alabama needed access to child care in 2022 but lacked reasonably priced, high-quality options in their communities.
According to Moss, Small Magic frequently needs to find solutions for these problems in order to keep helping families, kids, and child care providers.
The government does not begin allocating substantial funds for children at the age of five. Therefore, as a community, we must determine whether we need to make systematic investments in the first five years of a child’s existence if we want them to be prepared for kindergarten, Moss added.
Martin claimed that Small Magic’s accessibility was the reason she joined. She had the choice to take the literacy coaching lessons online because she is a working mother.
During a June Small Magic graduation ceremony, Martin stated, “They have been here for each of these families, no matter what the circumstance is, low socioeconomic status, no transportation, whatever it is, they have found a way to navigate through those things and still make it a resource that’s accessible to all these children in here.”
Additionally, the initiative helps more than simply families.
We firmly think that every day in their classrooms, childcare providers throughout our region are constructing the future of our community. We are aware that those individuals are developing the minds of our future physicians, businesspeople, and public servants, Moss stated.
According to program director Raven Johnson, Small Magic is assisting in the dismantling of obstacles by training childcare providers.
Through the child care provider program, 120 early education teachers served around 1,000 children in 2024 as part of Small Magic.
This is for their employees’ professional growth. For five weeks, our coaches visit these daycare facilities and provide teachers with literacy methods, resources, and advice on how to use language more in the classroom, as well as how to discuss reports, create objectives, and implement the strategies, Johnson added.
The Magic Makers Collective was just introduced by Small Magic, and community members can donate to help keep the program free for providers and families.
People in our community are eager to give their children the best start in life, and we’ve seen that they’re doing just that,” Moss said. “They’re investing their time and energy into the newborns in their lives.”
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