The Kindergarten Readiness Pilot Project of the Fresno Stewardship Initiative is a 22-week effort predicated on the belief that low-income neighborhood parents and their 4-5 year olds can be taught the core concepts necessary for success in kindergarten in a cost-effective, effective manner.
The Pre K Scholars kindergarten readiness curriculum will be taught in a Mommy and Me format so that both parent and child learn the basics necessary for school success and the parent learns how to be supportive of early childhood education.
Neighborhood residents trained in teaching the Pre K Scholars curriculum will provide the instruction 1.5 hours a day, three consecutive days of each week. The resident teachers will be compensated thereby creating small kindergarten readiness businesses in low-income neighborhoods.
It is anticipated that through this approach a 4-year old can be prepared for kindergarten and his/her mother taught how to support early learning efforts for approximately $800/family, a much less costly approach than Head Start ($7500/student) or preschool.
If successful, it is hoped that the program will “go viral” and positively impact kindergarten readiness in low-income neighborhoods throughout the region, perhaps farther.