In addition, children who participated in a Head Start, Even Start, Early Reading First, or Title I preschool program at any time during the two preceding years, homeless children, and children in institutions for neglected or delinquent children are automatically eligible for Title I preschool and to continue into Title I school programs. Read more

Research
Intensive, high-quality preschool programs can close much of the early achievement gap for lower-income children.  

In high-quality preschool programs, you should see children doing the following—

▪ learning the letters of the alphabet;

▪ learning to hear the individual sounds in words. 
  Children need to rhyme, to break words apart into their
  separate sounds (segmenting), and put sounds
  together to make words (blending);

▪ learning new words and how to use them;

▪ learning early writing skills;

▪ learning to use language by asking and answering
  questions, and by participating in discussions and
  engaging in conversations;

▪ learning about written language by looking at books
   and by listening to stories and other books that are
   read to them every day; and

▪ becoming familiar with math and science.

Some components of a high-quality preschool
Click Here, for a free guide for child providers.

1. Teachers enabling children to develop listening and speaking skills
Children should be able to listen carefully and speak for a variety of purposes, such as following and giving simple instructions, asking questions, and expressing their ideas and feelings.

Teachers in Title I preschools can help children develop these skills by—

• asking open-ended questions that invite children to expand upon their answers;

• using a diversity of words to expand children’s vocabularies;

• letting children take the conversational lead; and

• responding to children with a positive and encouraging tone and guidance style.

Examples of how teachers can…

…engage children in conversation throughout the day: “Why did you color the house orange, Rana?”

…gently reinforce the rules of good listening and speaking: “Connor, please don’t talk while Yi is asking a
    question, you’ll get your turn.”

2. Teachers reading aloud with children
Reading aloud with young children is important because it helps them acquire the information and skills they need to succeed in school and life, such as: printed letters and words and the relationship between sound and print; the meanings of many words; an understanding of the world in which they live; and the development of enjoyment in reading.

Teachers should—

• read aloud with children several times a day, establishing regular times for reading and finding other opportunities; and

• make reading books an enjoyable experience for children by choosing a comfortable place for reading and showing enthusiasm for reading.

Reading aloud with children (“book sharing”) is different from traditional reading to children (“book reading”) that does not involve children’s active participation. In book sharing teachers—

• help children to learn through reading, by helping them notice new information, offering explanations, and explaining unfamiliar words; and
• ask children meaningful questions while reading and encourage discussion about the book.

Examples of how teachers can…

…ask children questions that help them make connections between the book and their own experiences:

Adult: “What does it feel like to play in the snow?”
Child: “It’s cold.”

…evaluate the child’s response, and expand if necessary by adding new information.

Adult: “Yes, it’s cold when your feet get wet or when someone hits you with a snowball.”

…. wait until the end of the book and ask the child to recall some of the new information

Adult: “Can you remember some of the things we talked about that make people cold when they play in the snow?”

3. Teaching about the sounds of spoken language (phonological awareness)
Learning to hear the individual sounds in words is essential for children’s reading readiness. Children need to learn to break words apart into their separate sounds (segmenting) and put sounds together to make words (blending).

Teachers can help children develop their phonological awareness by—

• reading books aloud that focus on sounds, rhyming and alliteration;
• playing games that isolate the beginning sounds in familiar words; and
• recognizing the common sounds at the beginning of a series of words (alliteration).

Examples of how teachers can…

…invite children to identify and manipulate the beginning sounds of words: “Let’s say ‘Humpty Dumpty’ again, but this time make it ‘Lumpty Gumpty’.”

…play word games that help children identify and generate rhyming words: “Which of these words rhyme: snow, lamb, and go?”… or “How many words can you think of that rhyme with clock?”

4. Teaching about print
It is important for children to recognize print in their surroundings, understand that it carries meaning, know that it is used for many purposes, and to experience print through writing.

Teachers should—

• create print rich-environments that include books, photographs and pictures with captions and labels, calendar and bulletin board displays, and labels and signs for special areas of the classroom, and

• make a variety of props that use printed letters and words available for use in dramatic play, such as menus, play money, recipes, empty food cartons, and telephone books.

Examples of how teachers can…

…draw children’s attention to print everyday life: “I’m going grocery shopping later, so I wrote this list of the things I need to buy. Can you tell me how many things are on the list?”

…distinguish between children’s beginning writing and drawing: “I like the cat you drew. She is a pretty orange cat. Oh, I see over here you wrote your cat’s name. Can you tell me your cat’s name?”


5. Teaching about books
It is important for young children to know how to handle books appropriately, recognize books’ features such as the cover and title, and recognize it was written by an author and has drawings by an illustrator. Children should also recognize that printed letters and words run from left to right across the page and from top to bottom.

Examples of how teachers can…

…draw children’s attention to how print functions in books: Teachers can emphasize the direction in which we read by pointing to the first word on a line and running a finger beneath the words while reading from left to right and top to bottom.

6.Teaching about letters
In order for children to enter kindergarten ready to learn to read, it is essential that they leave preschool with the ability to: recognize and name letters; recognize beginning letters in familiar words (e.g., their own name); recognize both capital and lowercase letters; and relate some letters to the specific sounds they represent.

Teachers should—

• create a classroom environment that provides a variety of opportunities to learn about letters through manipulatives, environmental print including an alphabet posted at eye-level, alphabet books, and at a writing center; and

• play games that use letters, provide children with letter manipulatives, and encourage children to write letters using various materials.

Examples of how teachers can…

…help children write letters: “Look, I made the letter “C” out of play dough. Now can you make a letter “C”? Good! What other letter should we make together?”

…help children hear the sounds that letters can make: “Linn, your name begins with an “L” (emphasizing the beginning sound). Who else has a name that begins with the same sound? Yes, Larry! Your name also begins with an “L” sound, made by the letter “L” (saying the letter name).”

7. Building children’s background knowledge and thinking skills
It is important for young children to learn information about the world around them, to discover what things are and how they work. Through learning about the world, they extend their use of language, develop vocabulary, and develop their abilities to figure things out and to solve problems.

Teachers should—

• provide children with opportunities to develop concepts by exploring and working with a variety of equipment and materials; and

• share informational books, especially those that use pictures and illustrations that children can understand easily.

Examples of how teachers can…

…teach children new words and concepts: “Look at the seeds we planted. They’re sprouting! See how the seedling is pushing through the dirt? See the tiny green leaves? That means it is growing!”

8.Teaching about numbers and counting
Teachers can help children learn about numbers and counting in numerous ways, such as through pointing to and counting objects as part of the classroom’s daily routine and when passing out materials.

Teaching in more direct ways can involve—

• providing children opportunities to count using manipulatives;

• teaching counting songs and rhymes that use different actions;

• reading and discussing number-counting books; and

• including numbers in the pictures they draw and in the words and stories they write.

Examples of how teachers can…

…use manipulatives to teach numbers, counting and math concepts: Teachers can provide children with different types of macaroni and encourage the children to sort the different types and then count them aloud. With older children, teachers can teach the concepts of “same, different, more than, less than, and one more” while comparing the groups of objects.

Preschool teachers should plan the classroom environment carefully so that literacy is an integral part of everything they do. In this way literacy learning, that is reading and writing, becomes a meaningful part of their everyday lives.

For example, research shows that children’s literacy development is supported in classrooms that—

• have a large number of high-quality, age-appropriate books in a variety of genres (e.g., story books, alphabet books, nonfiction books, and wordless picture books) that can be easily accessed by the children);

• are print-rich, with letters of the alphabet, labels, and printed directions clearly displayed at the children's eye level;

• have play and learning centers that include a large number and wide variety of books, writing tools, and other materials and props conducive to dramatic play;

• have a book-reading area with comfortable furniture, a carpet, or pillows; and

• display children’s work throughout the room.

Resources for Parents

What Are Children Learning When They Play
Free play sounds vague, but is very much a planned activity. The child has the freedom to choose among many different activities, but the teacher has created the classroom environment and arranged the choices the child will find. Free play is not time off for the teacher. On the contrary, she should be paying close attention to the children, interacting with them, offering guidance and help where necessary, noting progress and difficulties.

Preschool Philosophy 101
Montessori? Waldorf? Understand the many approaches to early childhood education.

Preschool Philosophy
There are different approaches and philosophies applied at preschools. Choose the one that is right for you.

What Preschool Licensing Means
Do all preschools need to be licensed?
What does it mean if a preschool is "accredited"?

The Ultimate Guide to Preschool

Helping Your Preschool Child
This booklet includes activities for families with children from infancy through age 5.  (US Department of Education)

Helping Your Child Adjust to Preschool

Visually Impaired Preschool Services

Information for Parents of Preschool Students with Disabilities AGES 3-5

Preschool - Learning and Education

Resources for Teachers
Core Knowledge Preschool
National Accreditation Organizations and Standards for Early Childhood Programs: Web Sites
Kindergarten Readiness Exam

Common Preschools
Child/Play-Centered Preschools are fairly unstructured, but that doesn’t mean that the children can just run amok. The teacher arranges the environment and provides the materials so that kids can learn through play activities.

Teacher-Directed/Academic preschools offer a more organized learning environment, where the teacher guides the children through scheduled – but fun! – activities. This type of program aims to help children adapt to a classroom setting, making them better prepared for school.

Montessori preschools focus less on toys for learning, and more on learning through real-life experiences. Kids are encouraged to learn at their own pace and by the example of the older children in the class. They’re allowed to work on things that interest them rather than being directed what to do, inspiring individual progress and self-teaching. The teachers are required to have training in the Montessori method.

Reggio Emilia preschools focus heavily on the arts and hands-on activities. Teachers are there to encourage rather than instruct, and provide detailed documentation of each child’s learning experiences to share with parents, making the educational process visible.

A Waldorf preschool will provide your child with a group-oriented atmosphere and a teacher who offers gentle guidance instead of being a strict authoritarian. Much emphasis is placed on creativity; academics are not the focus until later grades. The children stay with the same teacher and classmates for as long as they’re in a Waldorf school, up until eighth grade. Choosing a Preschool