Frequently Asked Questions

Children are eligible if they:

• live in the Derry Area School District

• are between the ages of 2-5 years old

• have not yet begun Kindergarten

Absolutely nothing! Thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation and our partnership with The Learning Lamp in Johnstown, PA, participants pay $0; there is no registration fee or tuition for families enrolled in the program.

Upon registration, your child qualifies for a on-on-one, in-person lesson at home with a certified instructor. Students enrolled in the program also receive:

• a learning kit filled with supplies used during lessons and goodies to share with the whole family (i.e. books, crayons, construction paper, whiteboard and marker, etc.)

• a district-owned iPad, preloaded with fun learning apps that are developmentally appropriate (families can keep the iPads for the duration of the school year, until they are collected in May)

• access to the TTT Google Classroom, a resource for parents and students alike to find games, activities, read-aloud videos, informational resources, and more!

Children aged 2-3 are visited about once every two weeks.

Children aged 4-5 are visited about once a week.

Lessons are flexible and subject to change. The program follows the Derry Area School District schedule.

We are not a year-round program. Our program follows the Derry Area School District schedule. Lessons begin in mid-September and they continue through May. We do not have lessons on days when there is no school (i.e. holidays, parent-teacher conference days, etc.)

Lessons can vary, depending on what the instructor brings with them. Typically they are about 30 minutes in length, though they can be shorter or longer to maximize focus and ensure each student is fully benefitting from their lesson. The instructor will work on a variety of skills with each student - identifying and writing the student's name, counting, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social & emotional skills, Kindergarten-readiness skills, etc. Sometimes, the instructor will also leave some activities for each student to do with their families in-between lessons.

Absolutely, and in fact we hope you do! Part of our goal is to help you, the caregiver, find new and interesting ways to help your child learn. Sing along, play along, and work along with us - it's sure to be fun and rewarding.

You've come to the right place! Click the menu at the top of the page, then select "Enrollment Application." Once you have submitted your application, we will contact you about scheduling your first lesson!