The Incredible Years® Parenting Program Starts Feb. 13

A FREE Preschool Parenting Program for families with children 3-5 years old is now available in Marion County.

Does your preschooler have challenging behaviors such as whining, temper tantrums, or struggles sleeping?

Join us Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. February 13 - May 21, 2024 (with a spring break in March) at the Lillian Bryant Community Center, 2200 NW 17th Place, Ocala. Participants will receive resources and education to address these behavior issues, plus many others.

Child care and dinner is provided. Receive a $50 bonus when you attend at least 11 sessions. Space is limited. Registration is required.

For more information, contact Ruth Velez at (352) 369-2315, Option 8 or ParentingPrograms@ELC-Marion.org.

Click Here to Register Now

New Year, New Career?

The ELCMC is Hiring

If you know anyone enthusiastic, organized, and dedicated to serving Marion County families, please have them check out our current openings by visiting:

www.ELC-Marion.org/about-us/careers

“Experts tell us that 90% of all brain development occurs by the age of five. If we don’t begin thinking about education in the early years, our children are at risk of falling behind by the time they start Kindergarten.”

– Robert. L. Ehrlich

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FREE VPK

Commissioner's Book of the Month

Florida Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. launched the Commissioner’s Book of the Month, a monthly reading challenge to promote literacy and reading engagement in K-12 schools.

Literacy skills developed during formative years are essential for students to succeed both academically and in life, and reading comprehension develops as students engage with interesting and meaningful books. Teachers and parents are encouraged to recommend these books to students.

The January 2024 book for PreK is Moon: A Peek-Through Board Book by Britta Teckentrup. Click HERE to learn more about this initiative.

Free Books to Improve Reading Skills

The New Worlds Reading Initiative was made possible by the Florida legislature and provides a free book each month during the school year. Eligible children are VPK students who are not meeting age-appropriate standards on their FAST Star Early Literacy progress monitoring assessments or any K-5th grade public school student who is not reading on grade level.

Click Here for More Information

Tips to Build Early Literacy Skills

Early language, reading, and writing development begin during the first three years of life and are closely related to a child’s experiences with books and stories. Young children’s interactions with literacy materials such as books, paper, and crayons as well as interactions with the adults in their lives create the foundation for language, reading, and writing development.

The tips in the short video below - Quick Tips: Ask Children to Make Predictions During a Read Aloud - shows how to guide young children to guess or predict what will happen in a story. This helps children build listening and comprehension skills, a key developmental standard for preparing for kindergarten.

Free Movie Screening

The Marion County Headquarters - Ocala Public Library is hosting a free screening of "No Small Matter," on Tuesday, January 30 at 12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. This is the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for change in America today: early childhood education. Learn more about the human capacity for early intelligence and the potential for quality early care and education to benefit America's social and economic future.

For additional information or family resources, contact ELCMC at 352-369-2315.

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