Who We Are
The founder and creator of Words to Grow On is Dr. Peggy Sissel-Phelan. Her career of 30+ years has been dedicated to improving the health, well-being, and quality of life for children and families. Dr. Sissel-Phelan has worked primarily in the area of health and human services, with employment experience in public health administration, family violence prevention, AIDS programming, suicide prevention, education and advocacy for women and girls, community development, research, higher education, consulting, and most recently, educational publishing.
A pioneer in health literacy since 1994 when she worked as a consultant at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, she was the first professional in the state to raise awareness of the role low literacy can have on health care access and understanding. She continued this interest as Assistant and then Associate Professor of Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Sissel-Phelan has provided expertise in the area of health literacy at the federal, state and local level.
Since 2005 she has been the President and CEO of Brain Child Press, Inc., an educational publishing company based in Little Rock, Arkansas which she founded in response to the growing need for easy-to-read, inviting educational materials that could assist in fighting the dual crises our country must now openly confront: childhood obesity and chronically high levels of adult illiteracy and functional illiteracy. Realizing the importance of access to health related materials that both children and their parents could learn from and enjoy, she began creating and publishing 2nd-grade-level children's picture books on topics of food and nutrition, health and safety,etc. She also designs and creates educational games.
As a community volunteer, her leadership has also focused on human and community development, especially in the areas of emergent literacy in young children, and the health literacy of adults. She is the co-founder of Reach Out and Read Arkansas, a statewide 501(c)3 non-profit organization which, since 2002, has worked with pediatricians and other primary care health providers to implement the Reach Out and Read model in clinics across the state. Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based medical intervention that takes place during the well-child visit. Physicians distribute free books to low-income families, talk to parents about the importance of reading aloud daily, and “prescribe” reading. Fourteen peer-reviewed studies and twenty-two years of implementation have proven the efficacy of this model, which has been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In addition, she has provided expertise to a diverse variety of agencies and organizations such as Arkansas Children's Hospital, Project Head Start, World Education, WIC, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, the Women's Foundation of Arkansas, Arkansas Literacy Councils, the Arkansas Public Health Association, the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Program, the Michigan and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and New Brunswick Tomorrow - a community development corporation in New Jersey affiliated with the Johnson and Johnson Corporation.
The recipient of numerous awards, including a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellowship in 1998, she has served as a board member or committee volunteer for close to sixty groups and associations around the nation. She is the editor of two and sole author of one scholarly book in her field, and has published eight text book chapters, seventeen scholarly articles, and numerous reports and evaluations. Her publications outside of academics include children’s picture books and magazine articles. She is regularly invited to speak to groups and to provide information to the media.
Dr. Sissel-Phelan earned her doctorate at Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education. Her dissertation and subsequent book entitled Staff, Parents, and Politics in Head Start was undertaken as a year-long, participant -observation ethnographic study of parent involvement in Head Start. Additional Head Start research includes being co-PI with Dr. Robert Bradley on the Head Start Father Involvement Study from 1998 - 2002. Dr. Sissel-Phelan also holds a Masters degree of Arts in education from Michigan State University, and received her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa, with her first two years of study being undertaken at the University of Northern Iowa.
She is a native of Iowa, but has lived in Little Rock for the past 20 years with her husband Kevin and their two children.
The creation of Words to Grow On represents the coming together of all of her expertise and experience, combining aspects of parent education and involvement, emergent literacy, health and human services, research and administration. And - she gets to use her academic training and expertise in the development of educational games - one of her favorite things to do.
and Trainings
Every Baby's Development Is Our Business
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Company Values and Beliefs
- The acquisition of literacy is a basic human right that supports human dignity and well-being, and is fundamental to the empowerment of persons, the creation of an active citizenry, and the development of healthy, productive, and successful individuals and communities.
- Every baby has the right to reach their full potential. Every baby also has the capability if they are provided with the proper experiences beginning in infancy.
- Millions of children do not get the stimulation they need in order to grow and develop to their full potential. It is our responsibility to help others learn how to give them this stimulation, but it must be in a way that is respectful of their race, class, religion, disability, education level, literacy level, and current level of parenting skills.
- All parents love their children and want to do what's best for their baby, if they are able to do so.
- All babies deserve the best start in life. Everything Words To Grow On™ offers is based on the best: the best scientific research and sources of information, the best teaching and learning methods, the best products, the best representatives, the best experts in their fields. We're committed to the design and development of programs for parents and caregivers who want to give their baby the very best.
About Us
WORDS TO GROW ON ™
Peggy Sissel-Phelan, Ed.D., Founder and President
Words to Grow On™ is a new, social change-oriented business that uses community networking, social learning theory, and sales of board books for infants and toddlers to spread the word about the developmental importance of sharing books with babies during their first three years of life. Our motto is Every Baby’s Development is Our Business. Words to Grow On™ is a social entrepreneurial effort in that it’s aim is to create jobs, develop human potential, and promote charitable giving - all with the single purpose of eradicating illiteracy and improving children's developmental outcomes. It works like this:
Independent representatives called Early Learning Advisors facilitate researched-based educational presentations about the developmental importance of reading to babies. The core of the business is a home party for parents of 0 – 3 year-olds and their extended family and friends. Called a Word Play Party™, these casual get-togethers celebrate baby's growing brain and amazing potential while showing participants the easy, low cost things they need to do in order to give baby the very best start in life. Word Play Parties™ are centered around a series of fun and informal games and exercises that provide (each in a different way) a message about why sharing books with babies is vital to their developing brain and how the presence or absence of this stimulation affects all aspects of a child's future health and development. While the information presented is based in neuroscience and developmental research, all methods and materials have been designed to be easy-to-understand for the average person. Following the exercises, the Early Learning Advisor introduces and displays a sampling of specially-selected board books that people may order. Customers can choose from more than 100 award-winning, classic, best loved, and multi-culturally diverse books in age-appropriate categories: birth to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, 12 to 24 months, 24-36 months, and 36+ months. Spanish language titles and books in Braille are included in our offerings.
As customers look at the books and shop from the catalog, Early Learning Advisors (ELAs) introduce the charitable component of the company: Books4Babies. ELAs encourage customers to purchase – in addition to their own selections - one or two extra books which they would designate as a gift to a charity serving children and families. Words To Grow On™ will contribute a book for every book a customer donates. The party participants have the option of choosing a charity in their area to be the recipient of the books, or they may select a local nonprofit organization from our list of recommendations. ELAs also encourage members of the group to help deliver the donated books to the nonprofit organization in an effort to make people aware of the needs in their community.
Early Learning Advisors are independent business owners who earn commission. Applicants receive training to ensure that all representatives of the company are knowledgable, skilled, and ready to take on their new role with the company.
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One to Grow On - Books 4 Babies Project
60% of children living in poverty have no books in their home - of any kind.
The One to Grow On - Books 4 Babies Project puts needed books in the hands of children being served by local charitable organizations.
Words to Grow On will contribute a book for every book customers purchase as a donation during a Word Play Party. We will recommend several organizations in the local area that are in need of books for children, or, you may choose an agency you know to receive the donations.
Following the party or presentation, the book orders will be sent in. When the books arrive customers are notified as to a time and place to pick up your order. In the order's box of books the company will have included a number of books equal to those that were purchased and tagged for donation.
Then the nonprofit agency the donated books will be going to will be contacted to let them know a donation will be coming. We hope customers join us to deliver the books because not only will they get the joy of helping, they can learn more about the needs of their community.
Each donor's name, address, and value of their tax-deductible donation will be provided to the non-profit agency.
Our Mission
Our mission is to spread the Words to Grow On™ message of the need to read to babies early and often to support infant development, emergent literacy skills, and school readiness.
