Helping Each Child Get An Equal Start At School
The Problem
49% Unprepared for School
Nationwide, 49% of under-served communities children enter school unprepared. They start school behind and many times never catch up. The Ravenswood School district is no different. 84% of their enrollment is under-served.
73% Read Below Grade Level in 3rd Grade
At the state’s first assessment in 3rd grade, 73% of the students in the Ravenswood School District are reading below grade level. After 3rd grade, learning is all book based, so reading below grade-level puts the student at risk for falling behind what the curriculum requires.
How does our program work?
Our services are free. To enroll in the program, the family must qualify as low-income and live in San Mateo County. For more information on how to apply for our program, please click here.
We use community-based volunteers to work with the parent and the child. Volunteers must provide LiveScan documentation and pass our vetting process. Once vetted, they are matched with a participating family. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, but value children’s education and want to ensure that each child is ready for kindergarten.
Both the parent and the volunteer will act as teachers during the sessions with the child. During training, each “parent teacher” and “volunteer teacher” will learn about child developmental milestones, child-directed play methodology, and incorporating learning into play. Having two invested adults engaging with the child in play is an empowering experience for any young person.
Studies show, engaged children learn more. For this reason, the child controls what is done in the lesson. The two caring adults add details to enrich their learning experience during play. These details could be attributes or knowledge or vocabulary or exploring emotions or asking questions.
We have a lending library of learning activities. Volunteer Teachers check out learning activities the child likes. Activities in the learning library include games, blocks, Duplos, puzzles, art/crafts, pretend play, and fine motor games.
We initially provide the family with a free, core set of children’s literature. Each month the teachers choose two additional books based on the child’s interests to add to the family’s library. The family uses these books to read to their children daily.