In recent years, Grayson County has realized below averagekindergarten readiness rates. In 2016 and 2017 Grayson County only 36.7% and39.6%, respectively, of children entering school were considered “kindergartenready”. Many schools throughout the county began to put efforts towards gettingchildren prepared for school and educating parents on how they can plan inintegral part in their child’s early learning. 

The Grayson County Family and Consumer Science ExtensionProgram has partnered with the County Early Childhood Education Council to planand implement a program aimed to educate families on child development. “Laughand Learn Playdate” is a series of programs that focuses on positive childdevelopment that will prepare them to enter school fully ready to learn. Theprogram targets toddlers ages 16 months – 5 years and their parents or caregivers. At this monthly program, developmentally appropriate and interactiveactivities are set up at various stations. After a brief group activityfamilies are encouraged to move through the stations at their child’s own pace.Parents are encouraged to engage with the child, but let the child lead thelearning/playing. Parents are supplied with words, phrases, and questions toengage their child with each activity. They are also given the “why we aredoing this” and the “what your kiddo is learning” information at each activitystation so parents have a better understanding of how playing is learning inearly childhood. The goal of the program is to educate families on what itmeans to be “kindergarten ready” and to provide them with the knowledge and tools for them to successfully facilitate and reinforce learning in the home.

While it is too early to provide solid evaluation statistics,the parents have had a tremendously positive response to the program. For thefirst one we had 13 families register and attend, and that number grew to 17families the next month. We anticipate continued growth throughout the year. Thisis an initial outcome and will be updated with statistics at the end of theprogram year.