by Madison White Franks
For four years, the Lancaster school system has used the Nemours BrightStart! (NBS!), a reading program designed for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. According to school officials, reading has improved under the program.
About NBS!
The program developers at NBS! have created tools and resources that are evidence based and have also done research to support curriculum that they suggest teachers use, reported BrightStart community outreach director Kathy Ingram.
Dr. Laura Bailet developed NBS! and shared the program with the Jessie Ball duPont fund. They became excited to fund the first program in Port St. John, Fla. When the program was successful in Port St. John, the trustees were in favor of providing financial support to help the program get started in the Northern Neck during an opportune time, said communications director Mary Kress Littlepage of the Jessie Ball duPont fund. To get NBS! to Lancaster County they worked with the duPont fund and the Wiley Foundation, said Ingram.
The mission of NBS! is to promote reading success and prevent reading failure in children through innovative programs, research, leadership and partnerships focused on children from birth to eight years. The vision is to help every child become a reader.
Nemours is known around the world for medical expertise. They are also one of the country’s leaders in children’s health systems.
“Across the country, over 40% of children show up at kindergarten not ready to be there, so that makes for a very difficult kindergarten class and puts that child at risk for academic failure. They struggle for at least the next 12 years of their lives,” said Ingram.
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