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Ready Families No one plays a more instrumental role in preparing a youngster for school than the child’s family. Understanding this, Ready to Learn Providence has always devoted considerable effort to engaging parents and other family members in programs that support their role in the physical, social and cognitive growth of their young children. In 2007 R2LP launched Ready Families, a communitywide initiative designed to help families increase the school readiness of their children through a wide range of programs and trainings. A Ready Families committee, which meets bimonthly, includes parents of young children, family home-care providers, center-based educators and early-care advocates, as well as representatives from the Providence Public School Department, the Providence Public Library, the Making Connections Providence Leadership Institute, state and local health organizations, and nonprofit organizations in the area that focus on children. Ready Families plays a large role in promoting the PPSD’s kindergarten registration efforts and its Open Schools Week. School officials have said that thanks to the involvement of R2LP, far more parents are now registering their children earlier and on time, which makes the transition in the fall much smoother for the schools and, more importantly, the children. Ready Families is spearheading efforts to increase the use of the Child Information Sheet developed in 2007 by the Transition to Kindergarten Committee. Early-care educators and providers are asked to complete these forms for children in their care who will be entering kindergarten in the fall. Based on the Early Learning Standards, the forms provide kindergarten teachers with valuable information on a child’s abilities and skills. They also give parents a clearer understanding of their child’s school readiness.
Parents at a Fun Family Activities class make games designed to strengthen the school readiness skills of their children.
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