Program Description

Early Childhood Connections, a component of Cambridge Community Partnerships for Children, is located in the Cambridge Public Schools. It is comprised of two components: Literacy Curriculum Connections and Stress and Violence Intervention.

Literacy Curriculum Connections works directly with educators and children in preschool, Head Start, and kindergarten classrooms. It provides literacy training and curriculum resources for teachers and maintains an extensive resource library at the Fletcher/Maynard Academy. Preschool and public school teachers borrow books and materials from the resource library. A Home Reading Program is implemented in participating classrooms, providing a lending library of children's books for families to read with their children. Through the Home Reading Program children experience continuity of learning between home and school.

The Stress and Violence Intervention Educator (617-349-6485) makes on-site visits to affiliated preschool classrooms and conducts observations. For these classroom teachers and center directors, she provides literacy-based curriculum and classroom management support so that children who are coping with issues of stress and/or violence in their lives may successfully function in the classroom.  She also meets with parents/guardians to provide support, to suggest resources and ideas for supporting their children at home, or to refer to other sources of assistance.