'Raising of America' focuses on early child development
The United States ranks 26th out of 29 nations when it comes to the well-being of children.
It's a country where 40 percent of 5 -year-olds aren't ready for kindergarten, and where 75 percent of young adults aren't ready for military service.
Such was the scenario presented Tuesday in the film, "The Raising of America," which was shown at the Columbus Public Library on Macon Road.
The event, organized by the Muscogee County Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, drew about 100 people representing the city's business, philanthropic, governmental and educational arenas.
Warren Steele, founder of the Ferst Foundation, said the goal was to make the community aware of the challenges that many children face in the Columbus community. To address the problem, his organization mails one book per month to children in Muscogee County from birth until 5 years of age.
"Sometimes I have felt that we were a voice crying in the wilderness about the need to promote early literacy for children," Steele said in his opening remarks. "A lot of parents don't understand how important it is that you begin from birth to interact with your child, teach them literacy skills and give them a safe, nurturing environment."
The film stressed the importance of reading to children at an early age and raising them in a stimulating environment. The number of words that a child knows by 2 or 3 years old is a strong predictor of how they will read in the third grade, experts said, and a third-grade reading level is a strong predictor of whether they will graduate from high school.
Experts quoted studies showing that a child's ability to learn is affected by the level of stress in their home environment. They blamed low wages and the lack of paid family leave and quality child care as barriers to early child development.
After the film, there was a community discussion moderated by Ann McDuffie, former headmaster of St. Luke School. Speakers included David Lewis, Muscogee County School District superintendent; Bill Murphy, Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce executive vice president; Betsy
Covington, executive director of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley; and Scott Cotter, president of the Childcare Network.
Cotter said child care services cost about $12,000 to $13,000 per year in Columbus, and many parents can't afford quality care.
"Just drive around town, honestly, and there's a child care center on every corner," he said. "And just take a look at what it looks like, and most likely what it looks like on the outside is probably not a whole lot better than on the inside."
Representatives from Headstart, the Literacy Alliance and other social service organizations also attended.
Steele said the documentary was filmed in Massachusetts by a production crew from California. Sponsors of the Columbus event include the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Ledger-Enquirer.
Steele said the event is in response to a conversation started by Lewis when he brought Jamie Vollmer, author of "Schools Cannot Do it Alone," to the city last year.
Lewis told the people who attended Tuesday's event that they can make a difference.
"This room, to me, is what makes Columbus the very special place that it is" he said. "In very, very few communities can you have a conversation like this and have this many people come out.
"We don't have the solutions," he added. "But the fact that we're willing to have a conversation about it and can continue that conversation, is very critical."
Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.
This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 11:22 PM with the headline "'Raising of America' focuses on early child development ."