Four-year-old Kindergarten is becoming more common for school districts in the state of Wisconsin. By using a community collaborative approach, many districts have or are in the process of implementing a 4K program.
Today, over 80 percent of Wisconsin school districts provide a 4K program to their communities.
Many children have the privilege of experiencing a quality early learning experience through preschool and daycare providers. However, there are also many children who are unable to participate in these programs. A 4K program provides meaningful learning opportunities for all four-year-olds and promotes Kindergarten readiness.
Four-year-old Kindergarten is a voluntary program for children who will be the age of four by or on September 1 of the current school year.
More and more school districts are taking community approaches to 4K by offering the program in an array of settings including schools, daycare and Head Start.
As a community we need to create new and innovative collaborative ways to meet the needs of our young children. The community approach takes public and private resources to distribute learning programs and offers many benefits to children, families, schools, and communities.
This approach gives families options in providing quality care and education to their young children, regardless of income.
The successes of 4K programs have been reported since the 1960s. According to Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction, children with high quality preschool experiences achieve greater success during their school years.
4K programs increase cognitive abilities and achievement, improves social behavior, and increases educational attainment.
Because of the increased interest of parents looking for communities that offer 4K, and the successfulness of schools with the program, the School Districts of New London and Hortonville are implementing a 4K program for the 2010-2011 school year.
The 4K program offers an opportunity for children to socialize and be exposed to pre-Kindergarten activities. Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in this program for the early learning opportunities that may help shape their future educational achievements.
Click http://dpi.wi.gov/fscp/pdf/ec4k-dists09-10.pdf to see a list of school districts that have a 4K program.
Comments