Five goals Children’s Institute sets to ensure school readiness - Los Angeles Times
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How Children’s Institute prepares children and families for a legacy of success

Children in a classroom stand up and sing with their teacher pointing their fingers.
Christina Loomstein sings with her students at the Children’s Institute’s Head Start site.
(Sal Paniagua)
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Reading by 9’s back-to-school guide. Find expert tips, book recommendations and resources for parents of kids just starting transitional kindergarten.

In the ever-changing world of early childhood education and development, ensuring children are ready to embark on their academic journey is key. The concept of school readiness encompasses the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for success in school, development and beyond. What this means is that children are well-prepared for school, families are equipped to support their children’s learning and schools are ready to educate young learners.

A comprehensive approach to early education

It’s critical that comprehensive early care education services are rooted in strong family engagement. Our priorities at Children’s Institute are designed to foster school readiness for both children and their families and we use the following goals and guidance to assess our progress:

  • Approach to learning: Encourage children to learn and engage by providing developmentally appropriate activities.
  • Social and emotional development: Help children learn how to manage their behaviors and emotions to develop the skills needed to form healthy relationships.
  • Language and literacy: Enable children to understand and respond to language by laying the necessary groundwork for speaking and reading in both English and their home language.
  • Cognitive development and general knowledge: Expand children’s knowledge in critical subject matters including math and science.
  • Physical well-being and motor skills development: Enhance children’s health, safety and fine motor skills.

Preparing for successful transitions

Children’s Institute’s Early Childhood Education program provides the necessary resources and experiences to ensure all children in the program are prepared for successful transitions from preschool to kindergarten. This preparation is critical for all students to set the foundation for future academic success, as defined by school readiness standards.

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Setting goals for lifelong learning

To achieve this, Children’s Institute has established overarching school readiness goals for children from birth to age 5, spanning the five essential school readiness domains. These age-specific objectives are based on current program data, reflecting the diverse needs of all early childhood services programs. This tailored approach promotes individualized progress among children toward the birth to five school readiness goals.

Research-based methodologies

Children’s Institute’s approach is grounded in developmental learning objectives that utilize research-based tools such as the Desired Results Developmental Profile, the Creative Curriculum and the Early Learning Framework. These tools, combined with assessment data and trends collected from all our early childhood programs, form the foundation for establishing current school readiness goals.

In a world where early education is increasingly recognized as the cornerstone of lifelong success, Children’s Institute’s commitment to school readiness ensures that children, families and schools are all equally prepared to embark on the educational journey together. Through comprehensive services and a steadfast focus on essential developmental domains, Children’s Institute is paving the way for a brighter future and a legacy of success, one child at a time.

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For more details on Children’s Institute’s early childhood initiatives, please see our website.

Children’s Institute is one of Los Angeles’ most historic and largest nonprofits of its kind. Using a multigenerational, community-based approach, Children’s Institute transforms lives to empower children, families and entire communities to heal, thrive and achieve a legacy of success. We provide exceptional education and youth programs, compassionate counseling services, supportive parenting resources and robust workforce and community leadership development, all while passionately advocating for those we serve.

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