At Literacy Link children are not only tended to by a staff of childcare credentialed employees but are also given a focus on reading and working to improve their literacy.

Owner Stacy Brundage was an elementary level teacher for 15 years with a focus on reading before she decided it was time to start working with students at a younger age.

"I started it because I worked with struggling readers at the elementary level, and I just felt like if you start out early doing the right activities you can pretty much eliminate the problem that children have with reading," Brundage said. "You have to do certain strategies to help ensure that they become readers."

Each day at Literacy Link starts with circle time where the staff gets to know the children, followed by a health check before the day begins. The students then hit one of half dozen computers to look at websites which focus on learning and reading.

"We use the computers all day long for instruction," Brundage said. The main focus is reading, writing and technology."

The students then get to work on CRCT prep, and older students participate in early literacy programs for reading levels and work on complete sentences. Literacy Link also has music and art time and keeps reading logs to get feedback from the students.

"To me feedback is the breakfast of champions," Brundage said. "It lets you know how they’re doing in order to move forward."

Soon Brundage, who is a certified reading specialist, will conduct screenings on all the kids of the center and will come up with a "reading prescription" for all of them.

"That’s really how we’re different," Brundage said. "We’re going to give specific reading instructions based on their strengths and weaknesses, and I can do it because I’m a reading specialist."

Interested parents will have a chance to check out the facility, which opened July 14, at their grand opening on Saturday, July 24, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The adults will have a chance to tour the facility and there will also be games, music, a moonwalk and snow cones for the kids.

Parents can take advantage of two special offers. Brundage is offering free days for parents to try out Literacy Link Learning Center, and if they sign up by the end of July can get a discounted price of $99 per week.

Literacy Link is located on 3460 Hwy 20 SE and is open from 6 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 770-648-7636.