Assemblyman Kevin McCarty introduced three bills this week, one to expand spaces for public preschool for low-income 4-year-olds, one to improve preschool facilities and one to increase reimbursement for preschool programs.
Preschool Counts, a program piloted by Stanford University in 2013, is boosting early math skills by pairing undergraduate students with preschoolers to practice math through games and other activities.
Local libraries help parents to learn early literacy skills through storytime. Children's librarians say storytime is one of the best ways to cultivate a young child's interest in books and encourage lifelong reading.
Olenka Villarreal is the founder and executive director of Magical Bridge Foundation, which creates inclusive playgrounds that everyone can use, including young people with disabilities.
A national survey reveals that many teachers support a unified preschool and K-3 system and also believe higher wages and professional preparation are key to keeping teachers in the classroom.
In a national report that measures access, quality and investment in public preschool programs, California ranks high for the number of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds enrolled in programs, but low on quality standards.
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation-initiated campaign hopes the next governor will focus on children beginning at birth, and implement child-friendly programs within the first 100 days.
California could learn from the experience of other states that have established separate departments or divisions to oversee early childhood programs.
This school year the Lindsay Unified School District, in a small farming community in Tulare County, implemented universal preschool, meaning every child from birth to 4 years old, regardless of family income, can attend a program in the district for free.
In some schools, class pets do more than help children learn about animals. They are also being integrated into teachers' efforts to help young students learn social and emotional skills, such as self-awareness, responsibility and empathy.
