Acceleration Zone Project

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Read On Tempe is one of six communities from the state who were selected to participate in the Acceleration Zone Project . This 36-month project seeks to build the capacity of change makers who are interested in leading the charge for effective, equitable, and accelerated early literacy results in their communities. This collaborative project will use a “reflect and adapt” process incorporating strategies that will inform next steps to delivering scalable impact focused on school readiness and early literacy in identified Acceleration Zones.

The Tempe Acceleration Zone Project is focused on the Thew/Escalante community. The goal of the project is to provide the families with children ages 0 – 6 living in the Thew/Escalante community with strategies, programs and services for increasing early literacy skills in preparation for successful entrance into Kindergarten and future learning.

Tempe Project: Goals, Target Area, Data

Goals of the Tempe Acceleration Zone Project:

The Acceleration Zone team embarked on a plan to target early literacy efforts for the 395 families and their 758 children under age six in the Thew/Escalante community. Kindergarten entry data showed that only 20% of children entering school were prepared in the domain of language and literacy. The goals of the project were:

Saturate the community with literacy opportunities
Provide support to parents in the community with Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)
Provide children in the community with books to create or build their home library
Bring library programs and services to the families
Achieve the overall goal of 72% of third graders reading proficiently by 2030.

Strong partnerships between the Tempe Elementary School District, Thrive to Five Family Resource Center, City of Tempe Human Services and Community Services departments and funding from the Tempe Diablos allow this layering of supports and services to be available.

The Impact of the Acceleration Zone Project:

ROTImpact

Map of the Target Zone

Helping Us Grow (HUG)

HUG HUG benefits children and families in the Thew/Escalante community which is the target zone for the Read On Tempe Acceleration Zone Project.

The two primary goals of the HUG program are:

First: to raise awareness for parents about their role in their child’s education and to empower them in this role by providing them with useful strategies and information on being their child’s partner in education.

Second: to support this effort by getting books into the hands of children to start or build their own home library.

Components in the first year of funding include guided Storywalks®, on-site storytimes, and a Celebrate Reading Party where children will select 10 books for their home library and parents will receive literacy information and strategies.

Year 1 Schedule of Events

January 28^th: Family Storytime at Thrive to Five
February 11^th: Sensory Storytime at Tempe Public Library
February 18^th: StoryWalk at Escalante Park
February 24^th: Kinder Readiness Info. Session at Thrive to Five
February 25^th: Family Storytime at Thrive to Five
March 2^nd: Kinder Readiness Info Session at Thrive to Five
March 17^th: StoryWalk at Escalante Park (Cancelled due to pandemic)
April 25^th: Celebrate Reading Party at Escalante Community Center (Cancelled due to pandemic)

UPDATE: Celebrate Reading Party

The Celebrate Reading Party is being adapted to accommodate families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families will be invited to attend a FREE book fair where children will choose books to take home to build their own library. Parents can view a variety of simple literacy games and ideas. Families will also receive a variety of literacy support materials and information. Date and location are still to be determined. STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION

HUG has been funded by a $9,500 grant from the Tempe Diablos in 2019. During the initial year, the grant has been supported by Family & Community Support and the Tempe Public Library.

Listen

Acceleration Zone Project Communities:

Tempe
Phoenix
Avondale
Chandler
Yuma
Flagstaff

City of Tempe, AZ

Top Searches:

Acceleration Zone Project

Goals of the Tempe Acceleration Zone Project:

The Impact of the Acceleration Zone Project:

Acceleration Zone Project Communities: