Many experts say what a child knows before entering school plays
a significant role in how that child will do in school and later in
life.
Many experts say what a child knows before entering school plays a significant role in how that child will do in school and later in life. It’s a concept that inspired the city of San Jose to develop Smart Start, a series of basic recommended outcomes targeted for kids who will begin Kindergarten so that they will be successful in their first year of school.
Mt. Madonna YMCA in Morgan Hill now offers specially designed Kinder Readiness Programs at Barrett, Jackson and Paradise Valley Elementary School child care sites. The YMCA Kinder Readiness program follows the Smart Start objectives by providing a nurturing environment for children to make a successful transition into school. Themes including Families, The World Around Us and Dinosaurs are used to teach kids how to count, write their names, learn the alphabet, and tactile exercises that stimulate balance and coordination.
The Y’s own Kinder Readiness Task Force, made up of child care directors from various YMCA of Santa Clara Valley branches, has designed curriculum to increase independence, improve self-concept, and focus on values in a stimulating environment. Children are taught social and cognitive skills, language and reading development and motor skills, in a supportive, hands-on learning environment. Each child will be assessed when entering and completing the program and again at the end of the year.
The Mt. Madonna YMCA is located at 17666 Crest Ave. Details: Karen Marchi at the Mt. Madonna YMCA, 762-6000. Financial assistance is available.
