SBCOE Awards Early Literacy Certification

As part of San Benito County Office of Education’s Building Bridges to Literacy Initiative, 18 daycare providers and preschool teachers earned their Early Literacy Certificates on April 13, 2024.  The Early Literacy Certification Program is the first of its kind in San  Benito County, bringing early literacy classes to daycare providers and preschool teachers throughout San Benito County.  It is designed to help participants learn new skills and strategies around reading and literacy.

Developing literacy skills before the age of 5 helps ensure children are ready to read by kindergarten. Research indicates that students who do not have adequate literacy skills when they enter school are significantly less likely to meet College & Career Readiness benchmarks throughout their entire academic career, putting them at risk of dropping out of school, engaging in high-risk behaviors, and becoming involved with juvenile protection and law enforcement agencies. SBCOE’s Early Literacy Certification Program’s goal is to support educators as they work with our youngest children to develop those  critical literacy skills.

Dr. Danielle Thomas led the Early Literacy training, which consisted of a series of workshops covering six components of literacy and five areas of reading necessary to help young children learn. As part of the requirements to receive their certification, participants created an Early Literacy Plan that they implemented with the children in their care. Dr. Thomas and SBCOE’s Educational Services Department staff will continue to support the providers.  Click here to see a list of Early Literacy Certification Recipients.

The Early Literacy Certification Program will be offered again next Fall.  If you are interested in earning your Early Literacy Certification, please contact Keith Thorbahn at kthorbahn@sbcoe.org or Mai Cruz at mcruz@sbcoe.org.