About Osceola Reads

All Osceola County children should be ready for the first day of kindergarten!

We believe that children will be more prepared for kindergarten if they are exposed to reading from an early age. Currently, less than 50% of Osceola County kindergarten students are prepared for their first day of school. We want teachers to be able to move students forward in their education rather than exposing students to literacy skills for the first time.

OSCEOLA READS IS HERE TO HELP…

• Osceola County families
• Teachers in public, private, and charter schools
• Childcare facilities

Here’s some tips to make sure your child is prepared for kindergarten.

HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN IN OSCEOLA COUNTY?

The first day of kindergarten is exciting for children and their families. It is a new beginning for learning and developing friendships, confidence, and independence. However, it is also normal for children and parents to feel anxious about this new adventure.

HOW WE HELP THE COMMUNITY…

• Provide tips and reading resources for parents and teachers
• Register Osceola County children with the FREE reading app, Footsteps2Brilliance
• Host reading challenges to incentivize families to read together
• Partner with the Osceola Library System with reading challenges on Beanstack and Storytime events

WHAT IS FOOTSTEPS2BRILLIANCE?

The reading app Footsteps2Brilliance is free for all Osceola County children, regardless of age. With over 25 libraries filled with engaging books and interactive games, your child can have fun while learning at the same time! This comprehensive and engaging app for children preschool through third grade introduces early literacy skills, accelerates vocabulary and comprehension skills, as well as improves their multiple-choice test taking skills. 

The mobile app Footsteps2Brilliance is compatible with iOS, Android, Nook tablets, Kindle tablets, and computers. It’s easy to use and can be accessed without an internet connection once you’ve downloaded the app and its contents to a smartphone or tablet!

Here’s how you can start working with your child on reading today. 

HOW USING FOOTSTEPS2BRILLIANCE CAN HELP YOU TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ

You may already be working with your child on reading skills. Still, teaching your child to read may seem like an extremely challenging task. Not to worry. The Osceola Reads team has compiled a list of ways that you can start working with your child on reading today!

Here’s What Osceola County Parents Have to Say About Footsteps2Brilliance

What we hope this program will accomplish…

WHY DID OUR COMMUNITY NEED OSCEOLA READS?

In Fall 2014, only 13% of kindergartens in Osceola County scored proficient on their kindergarten readiness assessment. The Osceola County School District leadership realized we had a crucial problem. If students were not prepared to come into school, they would continuously be “catching up” rather than moving forward in their education.

In 2015, the Osceola County School District piloted Footsteps2Brilliance in VPK classrooms during their summer programming. During this time, they also trained all reading coaches and teachers to prepare for the implementation of the program in their classrooms. 

Along with making Footsteps2Brilliance available to all Osceola County School District students, the district leadership ensured that all Osceola County children would have access to the reading app for free. Osceola Reads came to fruition with the goal of spreading awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy and sought out registering community users and private childcare providers with Footsteps2Brilliance, as well as providing reading tips and resources to families to assure that children were prepared for their first day of kindergarten.

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