Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers

The Keiki O Ka Aina's (KOKA) Ka Waihona 'Ike project will increase literacy skills among Native Hawaiian children, from birth to eight years old through engaging parents and children together during shared activities centered around books; providing parent training to support literacy development; and ensuring access to library quality books, specifically Hawaiian Literature available in dual language books, Hawaiian and English. The two-year project, which will help 1,500 children and 1,290 parents on three islands, will assist in closing a literacy achievement gap through a series of direct services and parent workshops focusing on effective reading instruction techniques identified through research conducted by the National Reading Panel, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency; vocabulary instruction; and comprehension strategies. Participants, including children with disabilities, will access books through newly developed libraries at ten (10) family interaction preschools, three (3) center-based preschools including an infant and toddler center, and a home visiting program for high risk children.