LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — There are dozens of early childhood learning programs across Arkansas that have been looking to help students start learning as early as six months of age.
As they grow physically, childhood programs are looking to help children grow both mentally and socially.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children or NAEYC recognizes programs aiming to boost school readiness and currently, there are only six in Central Arkansas.
Leigh Kenner, Executive Director of the nonprofit, Joyfully Engaged Learning, has been working to improve the lack of accredited pre-k programs.
"Arkansas, unfortunately, is currently ranked 49th in the nation for the number of NAEYC-accredited schools. My goal is to fix that," Kenner said. "High-quality early learning has been proven to better prepare students for kindergarten. And it has a lasting impact on their reading levels in third grade, their graduation rates, and even career readiness and earning potential later down the road. We offer technical assistance, we also offer funding, so we help share the burden of the fees associated with accreditation."
One accredited program in Central Arkansas is Second Presbyterian Preschool in Little Rock.
Director Paige Majors explained how their mission is to provide their 385 students with a well-rounded, top-notch program for students that are six months of age up until Pre-K 5 with the help of NAEYC.
Second Presbyterian has been able to have certified teachers in every classroom, keep the teacher-to-student ratios low, and use specific curriculums for each age group. Majors said that for the last 15 years, they've been reaccredited and a team comes down from Washington to ensure they are following guidelines.
"A qualified, quality program for preschool education is priceless. It truly is," Majors said. "It gives them socialization skills, it teaches them that they're not the center of the universe. They're not at home watching a screen. It's just so beneficial."
There is abundant evidence that even the typical pre-k program will accelerate learning for the average 4-year-old. So that a child starts kindergarten with skills well above students who didn't attend pre-k.
Even if your child's program isn't NAEYC accredited, Majors said that parents should look for quality first.
“We must prepare them for the next chapter. If we have not, we have failed. And that is why we do what we do every day. That is why we have NAEYC accreditation," Majors said. "That's why I have qualified teachers. We have to have a passion for it. And you have to want to send these little minds off to kindergarten ready to go."
To learn more about the National Association for the Education of Young Children, please click here.