Ready Freddy - Getting Kids Ready to Leap into Kindergarten:
For six weeks, 150 children and their parents filled cafeterias and libraries at Eastern, Northeastern and York City school districts. As they arrived the children greeted old friends, shyly reached out to new ones and took their first steps on the path to kindergarten.
These families participated in the “Ready Freddy” school readiness program sponsored by the United Way of York County with funds from the Rehmeyer Trust and the Office of Child Development and Learning (OCDEL). The six week curriculum was developed by Ken Smythe-Leistico from the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburgh. The purpose of the program is to help children and families feel comfortable with the transition to kindergarten.
The sessions are led by kindergarten and early childhood education teachers with the support of United Way of York County staff. Families have a chance to learn about the expectations and procedures of the district, ask their questions, tour the facilities, and meet school personnel and other parents. The children get an opportunity to meet new friends, learn how to function in a group of their peers and see first-hand what a great place kindergarten is. The curriculum is broken into six sessions that cover topics including identifying your child’s strengths. It also focuses on developing literacy, numeracy, and social skills. Each week, every child gets a free book, corresponding to the weekly topic, to take home and keep. Families also have home activities to extend the skills they learned while at “Ready Freddy”. The kindergarten teachers have seen amazing progress in the children’s skills and comfort level over the course of the six week program.
The families that participated in the program last year were better prepared to handle the first day of school. School personnel have noted that the families are better connected to the school, participate in more activities, and are involved and active partners in their child’s learning.
