How we can all play a part in helping our youngest children succeed

In the Greater Lehigh Valley, statistics show that two out of every three children are not ready for kindergarten. By the time they reach third grade, one third of them are not reading on grade level, increasing the likelihood that they’ll drop out of high school. 

At United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, we have a bold goal to ensure all children are reading on grade level by the year 2025. But if we’re waiting until kids start school to focus on literacy, it’s too late. By the age of three, 80% of a child’s core brain structure is already formed.

By joining the national campaign “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing,” we’re working directly with parents, caregivers and families to recognize their power in the future success of their babies and toddlers.

Research shows that during the first years of life a child’s brain forms one million new neural connections every second and absorbs information like a sponge. This is why simple, everyday interactions with young children—like describing objects seen during a walk or bus ride, singing songs or telling stories—can better prepare them for school. It also supports a strong foundation for their social-emotional development, health and lifelong learning.


Focused on children birth to age five, ‘Talk, Read, Sing’ is all about making small, everyday moments BIG. Raising awareness and action through advertisements on bus shelters and buses, public service announcements, posters around the community and ‘Talk, Read, Sing’ ambassadors, we can transform everyday places into language-rich environments.

There are a few important ways you can help:

• Whatever you are doing with a child, talk to them out loud about it or sing to them. It makes a difference!
• Look for and acknowledge the ‘Talk, Read Sing’ community messages on bus shelters and buses, churches, health centers, barber shops, grocery stores and laundromats.
• Help us spread the important messages about “Talk, Read, Sing’ by becoming an ambassador or trusted messenger.

Join the close to one hundred trusted messengers, including business owners and community leaders, who have joined the ‘Talk, Read, Sing’ movement through our partners: Lehigh Valley Early Childhood Coalition, Lehigh Valley Reads and Lehigh Valley Public Media, home of PBS39. We’ve focused the initial campaign in Southside Bethlehem, Center City Allentown and Easton’s West Ward, but plan to expand ‘Talk, Read, Sing’ to other areas in the future.

The successful implementation and support of this campaign should result in more students entering kindergarten prepared academically, socially and emotionally in the next three to five years. Family members and caregivers will build new connections with children and the entire community will weave new networks of connectivity by rallying around this important goal.

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