New Adaptive Curriculum Helps Prep Pre-K Students for Kindergarten
A new set of digital tools and offline materials is
designed
to help pre-kindergarten teachers prepare their students for school.
The Waterford
Institute introduced its SmartStart preK
program with multiple resources to teach age-appropriate reading, math
and
science concepts. A computer-based adaptive early-learning curriculum
for
individualized instruction is combined with digital tools and offline
materials
to facilitate group and whole-class instruction.
"Preschool teachers are under tremendous pressure to
close the
gaps in academics and social skills, but often lack the time to provide
the
individual attention the task requires," Waterford President and COO
Benjamin Heuston
said. "SmartStart brings individualized instruction to the preschool
level and
blends it with research-based center learning."
A process for producing detailed progress reports,
for an
entire class or an individual student, can help teachers quickly
identify weak
spots early on and adjust lesson planning. The reports can easily be
shared
with parents as well.
Along with the SmartStart software and curriculum,
teachers
will get Classroom Advantage, an interactive whiteboard program, a
classroom
Chromebook set, activities and worksheets, DVDs that students can take
home and
a professional development package for teachers.
"Teachers are our most valuable asset," Heuston said.
"We want
to make sure they feel prepared and successful using Waterford."
According to Heuston, SmartStart can provide
readiness skills
such as letter recognition and sounds, comprehension and vocabulary.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.