Our first goal is to increase the percentage of children who enter kindergarten prepared to be successful. School readiness is a term used to describe all the preparation that takes place in the years between birth and the first day of kindergarten.
Strategies to meet this goal center on:
- Partnering with area churches, nonprofit organizations, and the Lee County Library to increase learning opportunities for low income children not enrolled in formal care.
- Providing technical assistance and training to improve quality of childcare centers in Lee County.
- Implementing regular meetings between childcare teachers/directors, Head Start, and kindergarten teachers.
- Implementing kindergarten transition programs into the school districts.
- Supporting parents in ensuring their children arrive at school healthy and developmentally ready to actively participate in the classroom and learn by providing parent workshops led by experts in the field.
- Attending community events to provide information to parents about the importance of the first five years and how to ensure their children arrive at school healthy and developmentally ready.
Start with the Arts
Start with the Arts is a partnership between the Early Childhood Coalition and the Link Centre that brings arts education into childcare centers. Children learn through music, movement, storytelling, and visual arts. Local teaching artists provide the lessons and instruction and guide the childcare teachers in integrating art into their everyday learning.
For more information or to join the school readiness focus group, contact Shelly Brooks at shelly@unitedwaynems.org
Early Childhood Coalition 