The Hunter family, including father Isaiah, mother Teresa, and now 5-year old Ivy are featured in the acclaimed documentary, The Right to Read. Residents of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Teresa and Isaiah focused on language development skills in their interactions with their daughter, Ivy, beginning in infancy, with the goal of building her vocabulary in preparation for reading success.
Teresa took advantage of a class called LENA Start, offered by Virginia Beach Grow Smart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping parents become their children’s first and most successful advocates. She went on to become a parent coordinator for LENA Start and now helps other parents embrace the tools to promote literacy with their own children.
Isaiah, a musician, encourages Ivy to learn and grow in her passions of dance and music. Ivy’s most recent endeavor of learning to play the piano will also contribute to her developing the brain pathways to excel in reading, as well as math. Teresa and Isaiah’s approach to promote everyday learning has set up Ivy for success as she prepares to enter first grade in the fall of 2023 – and also a lifetime love of reading.
Virginia Beach Reads is a part of the GLR Network of 350+ community coalitions working to promote early school success.