Child Care & Preschool Programs

The READY! for Kindergarten @ Child Care & Preschool Program is implemented by organizations working with preschool educators and child care providers or directly by individual early childhood professionals. The program was adapted from the READY! for Kindergarten® Parent Program to bridge learning for the child between home and child care or preschool.

Child care providers and preschool teachers play a crucial role in the lives of children. When they understand that the care and education they provide have the potential to prepare children for school success, they take advantage of every opportunity for intentional and purposeful play to promote learning.

The READY! for Kindergarten @ Child Care & Preschool Program™ in English and Spanish was created for educators to use with children ages 2 – 5. The program was adapted from the READY! for Kindergarten® Parent Program to bridge learning for the child between home and child care or preschool. One kit focuses on Language and Literacy and the second kit covers Math & Reasoning and Social & Emotional Development.

The tools and activities in each kit are versatile and designed for guided play in a multi-age setting and include books, puzzles, blocks, letters, numbers, and more. The assortment of tools supports children’s different developmental stages, abilities, and interests. By design, the program supports an integrated, whole-child, play-based learning approach that fosters cognitive, social and emotional, and physical development, and enhances executive functioning.

Professional Development

Educators using READY! @ Child Care & Preschool attend training designed to further their learning about early childhood development and how-to effectively bring to life the READY! Play With a Purpose approach. The interactive training session explores READY! Age Level Targets and activities that participants can integrate into their daily practice.

Age Level Targets

The foundation of the READY! for Kindergarten program is 26 Age Level Targets© that encompasses language, literacy, math, and social and emotional domains. READY! helps child care providers and preschool teachers focus on the progression of interconnected skills and milestones that will help children begin kindergarten ready to learn. These READY! Age Level Targets are consistent with U.S. national standards and several states’ Early Learning and Development Standards.

Because each child is unique and develops at a different rate, READY! encourages educators to view the Age Level Targets with a fluid attitude toward children’s skill levels. These school readiness targets are not to be learned in a week but are outcomes to aim for in the year ahead. If a child excels in one area but struggles in another, educators can adapt the activities to reinforce skills where needed. The child sets the pace, and the targets are a helpful framework. The program emphasizes maintaining a nurturing learning environment and building social and emotional well-being and perseverance while mastering skills.

Additional Information