Relevance: According to Kids Count Data, during the 2022-23 school year only 46% of kindergarten students in Kentucky were ready for their learning experience based on the criteria set by the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood. By using the Brigance Kindergarten Screener, all children are assessed based on adaptive, cognitive, motor, communication, and social-emotional skills.

Over the past decade, Kentucky’s Kindergarten Readiness has fluctuated between 44-51%, with some counties having rates as low as 10%. While the screener is not used to determine eligibility, it does provide a quick assessment on how prepared the child is to learn.  Finding indicate that children who do not meet the standard have a more difficult learning experience in the classroom. 

Response: To increase the kindergarten readiness rate in Kentucky, the Family and Consumer Science Extension Department (FCS) equipped county agents with the resources to make a difference. In 2023, 11 county agents reported Laugh and Learn Playdates as being one of their most effective programs of the year. Many of the county agents partnered with their local libraries to work together to reach parents and children. Through these collaborative efforts, local libraries were able to expand their foot traffic and their reach by hosting a monthly Laugh and Learn Playdate led by the county FCS agent. While the FCS agent provided the lesson and healthy snack, the library was able to provide additional reading materials for families to take home and extend the learning experience for both parent and child.

Results: The 11 counties reported a combined 345 households participating in the Laugh and Learn Playdates lessons, directly impacting 350 adults and 430 children through the experiential learning activities offered in the program. While participation can vary from month to month, 6 of the 11 counties reported over 25 families regularly attending each month. Additional reporting indicated over 80% of all families conducted learning activities at home with their children, as demonstrated in the Laugh and Learn program. While there is plenty of room to expand our learning footprint, these numbers indicate a positive movement to increasing our kindergarten readiness numbers. 

Public Value Statement:  When you support Extension family programing, communities gain the knowledge and skills to help their children succeed in schools which leads to beneficial change in the community.