As the school year begins, too many children are already falling behind. I am 1 of 30 bloggers helping #FindtheWords with Save The Children to raise awareness of the need for early childhood education for all kids. I am participating in this social media campaign to highlight 30 words in 30 days – to symbolize the 30 million fewer words that children from low-income homes hear by age 3.

Save the Children provides kids in need with access to books, essential learning support and a literacy-rich environment, setting them up for success in school and a brighter future. Learn more about Save the Children’s work in the US and around the world: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6153159/k.C8D5/USA.htm

MY WORD IS… COURAGE

 
I believe courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acknowledging your fear… and moving forward anyways. It’s about having compassion for your fear (to actually love on your fear) AND not letting your fear stop you.

Courage is a huge part of my family’s summer. On August 14, I am moving my family from Chicago to Philadelphia (for my husband’s new job).  It’s hard to believe it’s really happening. We are saying good bye to Chicago and to the only place my children have ever known as home.

Are we ready for this big adventure? Yes.
Are we ready to explore Philly + the natural wonders of the east coast? Yes.
Are we a little heart broken to say goodbye to our lives in Chicago? Yes.
Are there moments when fear creeps in and we still choose to lean into COURAGE? Absolutely.

By leaning into courage, the fear eventually passes.
 
As a family, we are having the courage to move to a new city… where we don’t know anyone. We are having the courage to ask for help when we need it. We are having the courage to say goodbye… to walk away from our lives in Chicago.

Sometimes I think it’s sad that we are moving. Other times I know it’s super exciting.

And then I put our move into perspective.

Yes, my boys and I need the courage to start over in a new city… but so many people in this world need to courage to survive – to create a better future for themselves.

And that is why I am participating in this #FindTheWords Save The Children campaign. Because early childhood education can help children in low-income homes believe in themselves, and give them the courage to create a better future.

Did You Know…

By age 3, children from low-income homes hear an average of 30 million fewer words than their peers, putting them 18 months cognitively behind his or her peers when they start school. To represent these 30 million lost words, Save the Children is calling on 30 bloggers to highlight 30 words from August 10-September 8 (International Literacy Day).

• The first years of life are critical in children’s development, shaping cognitive, social and language skills, as well as lifelong approaches to learning. Evidence shows that 85 percent of brain growth occurs in the first five years of life.

 

• 65% of young kids in need have little or no access to books.  More than two-thirds of poverty-stricken households do not possess a single book developmentally appropriate for a child under five.

 

• Parents who talk less with their children in an engaging and supportive way have kids who are less likely to develop their full intellectual potential than kids who hear a significant amount of child-directed speech.

 

• Around the world, if all students in low-income countries acquire basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty.

$100 Gift Card GIVEAWAY!

Here’s where you come in! To help spread the word on social media about the #FindTheWords campaign, Save The Children is sponsoring a $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Simply click to tweet below for your chance to win…
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