What is Preschool?

In Kentucky, all preschool programs are designed to actively engage children so that they will gain the skills and knowledge needed to enter kindergarten ready to achieve and excel at learning. The program focuses on the cognitive, language, physical, social and emotional development of all children.

Teachers who teach in the preschool program hold an Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) certificate which means that they are highly skilled instructors who are in tune to the learning needs of young children, including those with disabilities.

Family involvement is an important component to the preschool program as well. Activities throughout the year are planned to support families with children in the program. Some of those opportunities include:

• Participation in the classroom as a volunteer

• Parent training and education sessions

• Meet and greet with preschool staff and families twice a year

• Evaluation of the program annually

• Family Nights

The Office of Special Education and Early Learning provides us with the Helping Children Learn newsletter by The Parent Institute.  This newsletter is based on research and best practices. The Daily Learning Planner offers a digital resource filled with engaging daily learning activities for parents and caregivers to use with their children. These tools are designed to empower families to create meaningful learning experiences at home, reinforcing the skills children are developing in the classroom.  Fostering a solid home-school connection can help us support children’s growth and success together. They have provided us with an English and Spanish version of their newsletter along with an English and Spanish version of the planner.