DOMAIN

Ready to Read (0-5)

Children are prepared to start learning to read (demonstrating pre-literacy skills) when they enter kindergarten.

Long-term impact metric: Increased percentage of children demonstrating on-track pre-literacy skills when entering kindergarten.

2025-2026 Strategies, Actions, and Targets

Strategy

Establish culturally appropriate standards for assessing pre-literacy skills and resources for developing kindergarten readiness.

Action

Research existing pre-literacy standards and assessments and begin exploring how child care centers might adopt standards for use.

18-Month Target

Draft pre-literacy standards and develop plan for adoption by child care centers.

Strategy

Examine data and research to inform ongoing literacy progress.

Action

Continue work with Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University to understand the supply and demand of child care in Nashville.

18-Month Target

Increase in shared data on early literacy and childhood in use by partners.

Strategy

Ensure universal access to affordable, high-quality child care and early education.

Action

In collaboration with the Nashville Early Education Coalition, convene partners to explore and advance policy that supports increasing access to high quality early education.

18-Month Target

Advocate for policy changes (institutional, city, and state) to improve and increase access to high quality early education.

Strategy

Ensure an easy-to-navigate transition to kindergarten and provide resources to families to inform kindergarten options.

Action

Align communications and outreach efforts with school enrollment campaigns to increase on-time school registrations.

More about our current actions.

Get to know more about our four domains of focus, our 2025-2026 strategies, and our approach to collaborative efforts. Download our latest report, “Cultivating a Landscape for Learning: Raising Readers Nashville 2025-2026 Strategies.”