Nemours Reading BrightStart! (NRBS!) program is a supplemental early literacy curriculum dedicated to the prevention of reading failure in young children. Started in 2005 through generous funding from The Nemours Foundation, a large pediatric health system, NRBS! is a research-based program driven by the understanding that child health and learning are intricately linked, recognizing reading failures as a major child health issue. This unique and highly-effective instructional curriculum is designed to close the reading readiness achievement gap for struggling, young learners before they enter elementary school.
In November 2015, the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County piloted the NRBS! program by training teachers and directors in 17 classrooms across 9 different child care centers. The training consisted of 12 hours of curriculum-specific, hands-on instruction with the lessons and materials, in addition to a discussion about the history and rationale behind the NRBS! program, giving teachers and directors the knowledge and confidence to implement the NRBS! curriculum in their own classrooms. The ELC then presented each provider with their own curriculum sets- including the lesson plan kit, manipulatives kit, and book set- and assigned them an NRBS!-certified coach to serve as an essential resource for the program. The coaches make weekly visits to each classroom to ensure the fidelity of the program and provide support through implementation suggestions, modeling, extension activities, and professional development resources.
The teachers and coaches saw improvements not just in their students' early literacy skills but also in the overall quality of the classroom as a whole. Teachers found they could use the multisensory learning strategies embedded within the program throughout their day, enhancing the educational experience for all their students by targeting different learning preferences. Their interactions with children in small group settings also gave them more insight into their students' academic progress and social skills, offering opportunities to identify any additional needs. Through the efforts of the NRBS!-certified ELC coaches and trained teachers, over 220 children, were supported during the initial pilot program.
As of 2025, the coalition's ever-growing NRBS! program now includes over 25 providers and 54 classrooms, serving over 2,000 Manatee County students since its inception.
What Is the Evidence That Nemours BrightStart!’s Curriculum Is Effective?
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the NRBS! program served 225 qualifying children at 27 Manatee County early childcare providers. Of those 225 children who completed pre-and post-assessments, 184 met or exceeded the benchmark score on the GRTR-R early literacy assessment, resulting in an 82% achievement rate. These scores indicate successful acquisition of age-appropriate early literacy skills and a strong foundation for kindergarten reading readiness in children who had previously been considered at-risk for reading failure.
What do the teachers and directors say about Nemours BrightStart!?
A+ Growing Academy:
"After conducting the Mid-year Get Ready to Read assessments, we discovered that 80% of our qualifying students were no longer performing below average on the assessment."
First for Kids:
"Nemours does a great job introducing and practicing key skills needed for kindergarten. The activities are fun and engaging for children with all skill sets. My students enjoy coming to do the activities during our small group time."
Happy Cubs:
"Nemours has truly helped me become a better teacher. It has helped me to learn how to teach better at different speeds and levels. The small groups have helped me build better relationships with each student."
Kids on the Rock Preschool & Daycare:
"Nemours has made our classroom have a more positive climate because you can communicate better when you can understand how they learn. I like this program because it is effective in helping students who are struggling. It gives them confidence in their ability to learn."
Manatee United Methodist Preschool:
"Some of my children have struggled with language development. I personally feel that Nemours has been directly responsible for their improvement."
Sunshine Academy:
"The curriculum has given us new ideas to use when teaching the children their letters and sounds. It has inspired many ideas for extension activities that can be implemented in centers throughout the classroom to accommodate the children’s different learning styles."
Tiny Tots University:
"The best part of this tool is that it is not only for children who are falling behind but it is a tool that every child can use. With everything provided in the multisensory kit, it is easy to teach the lessons and does not take a lot of prep time."
For more information on the Nemours Reading BrightStart! program, please contact
Caitlin Howell at (941) 212-4911 or chowell@elc-manatee.org
