read-along nonfiction builds phonemic awareness; develops phonics decoding skills; and strengthens vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, all while introducing children to a world of knowledge and exploration. Many of the nonfiction titles cover STEM and social studies standards. Lexile scores are included. 

In families, parents are the first teachers, preparing their children to read simply by talking and reading to them frequently. They can also be the first to spot health and developmental problems that may lead to reading difficulties. But parents do not always know what to look for or how to help their children, and access to health care is essential. Poverty is strongly associated with lack of health insurance coverage. For example, 10 percent of people in families with incomes of $50,000 or more are not covered by health insurance, but this jumps to 19 percent for those with family incomes between $25,000 and $49,999, and to 29 percent for those with family incomes below $25,000.23 Children in poor families also are more likely than their peers to have parents with limited education, because lower education is associated with earning lower incomes.24 These findings suggest that pol

icies and programs which would increase access to health insurance for children and to improved education

he commission says that while retention policies may generate “a sense of urgency for improving early reading proficiency, similar improvements in student achievement might well be achieved through identification and intervention — without the need for retention.”