By Rebecca Feldhaus/KPR
Lexington, KY – Education and community leaders at this week's Great By 8 Summit say literacy training should start at birth. Annette Bridges is Director of Kentucky's division of Early Childhood Development.
"By the end of the third grade, kids have to be able to read well. In order for those things to happen, especially for poor kids, you have to back that up as far as you can to make sure you build that foundation early on."
Bridges says all children generally begin with the same learning capacity, but family income seems to be the greatest factor in a child's development. The Great By 8 initiative is creating regional teams to help solve the achievement gaps.