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Monthly Newsletter

A Community Initiative for Young Children & Families

One Heritage Place, Suite 230

Southgate, MI  48195

Ph: 734.282.5497

F: 734.453.1089

everybodyready@yahoo.com

See KLAMM, Page 3
Text Box: The Guidance Center’s “Family Resource Center” in the Aquinas building on North Line Road in Southgate is a hidden treasure. Although the center provides and/or refers services for families, it has gone beyond these expectations by providing additional programs and activities. Open for all Downriver families, its focus is on children and families from birth to 5 years of age. One of the most successful programs offered is the Reading is Fundamental project. Children have the opportuText Box: nity to attend “Reading is Fundamental” events twice a year. The resource center, in collaboration with AmeriCorps, the community and local businesses, plays an active role in supporting and assisting these literacy events. Text Box: Over the past few months the center has received numerous donations of books and media materials. Presently, there are more than 1,800 books and videos, which are available for parents, teachers and children to check out. All donations are greatly appreciated. The center has always had a strong focus on literacy. It now offers a Music Literacy Program. This program gives Head Start and the Michigan School Readiness Program a literacy-based extracurricular activity for their children. Text Box: While it is easy, or even a must, for some parents to raise their children to be bilingual, American parents might ask themselves: “How could we possibly do it?” I admit it was very easy for our family. We came to Michigan from Germany in 1993, when our son was just 10 months old. Our daughter was born here. Both are growing up here and we speak German at home. So what could American families do to introduce a Text Box: foreign language to their kids? My advice is to start early — the sooner the better. Text Box: It is a proven fact that between the ages of 3 and 8, children who are exposed to a second or even third language learn it much quicker than older kids. When my son started kindergarten in 1998 I volunteered in his classroom once a week for half an hour to teach his classmates some German. It is amazing how fast these little kids pick up lanText Box: Language-sharing experience is good lesson for parents, children

Family Resource Center is

hidden treasure for families

Inside this issue:

See BRINKERHOFF, Page 4

Sandy Mull

2

Mission Statement

2

Kathleen Baltman

3

Story Jumps

3

Story Jumps

4