| td> | | | | what students will need to do when they enter |
| One program in Charlotte Schools is focusing on | | | | kindergarten. The new partnership seeks to |
| the littlest learners. Recognizing that good learners | | | | produce students entering kindergarten who are |
| begin early, education officials have developed an | | | | better prepared to learn and kindergarten |
| award winning preschool program called Bright | | | | teachers with a clearer idea of what their |
| Beginnings. | | | | students have been exposed to and how they |
| Bright Beginnings | | | | can build on that knowledge as they move |
| The Bright Beginnings program involves full day, | | | | through kindergarten. The program has the |
| literacy based programs for four year olds in the | | | | potential to raise student achievement at every |
| Charlotte — Mecklenburg area. More than | | | | grade level, as better prepared students advance |
| 3000 students benefit from the program at five | | | | year to year. Bright Beginnings recognizes that as |
| education centers and fourteen elementary | | | | Elementary Education Standards increase, |
| schools. Over time the program has spread | | | | preschool student curriculum must as well. As the |
| beyond the public school system and has been | | | | director of the program explains, (Children) are |
| integrated into preschool classrooms throughout | | | | expected to learn more. The standards have |
| the community by partnering with the Smart | | | | increased, not just in college and high school but in |
| Start, Child Care Resources, Child Care Centers, | | | | kindergarten too.! |
| and More at Four programs, which all target the | | | | Professional Development for Teachers |
| education needs of preschool students. | | | | As part of Bright Beginnings commitment to |
| Developing Pre — K Experiences | | | | preschool education, Charlotte Mecklenburg |
| Teachers and program developers recognize the | | | | Schools has used federal and state grant money |
| need for enriching experiences at the preschool | | | | to ensure that the teachers working in the |
| level. Students at this age have very limited | | | | program are highly trained and qualified. All |
| opportunities to explore the world around them, | | | | teachers must be certified in early child |
| and the Bright Beginnings Program hopes to | | | | development, meaning that they have studied |
| change that. By exposing children to new and | | | | children from birth to kindergarten. |
| different things, program developers believe that | | | | National Recognition for Bright Beginnings |
| they can strengthen student vocabulary, a skill | | | | Several years ago, Bright Beginnings sold its |
| that they hope will carry over when the students | | | | award winning curriculum to Pearson Publishing. |
| learn to read. While many of these new | | | | Through this partnership, the curriculum has been |
| experiences take place in the classroom, Bright | | | | distributed nationwide and continues to grow in |
| Beginnings also encourages students with field | | | | neighborhoods far from the Charlotte — |
| trips to local learning centers, such as Discovery | | | | Mecklenburg area. The director of the program |
| Place and ImaginOn. | | | | credits Bright Beginning’s success to the |
| Aligning Pre — K with Elementary Education | | | | continued dedication of teachers and developers |
| Curriculum and Instruction | | | | to work towards better learning practices. She |
| Bright Beginnings has recently been incorporated | | | | comments, We’ve started some new |
| under the North Carolina State Elementary | | | | things and we’re going to continue to build |
| Education Curriculum and Instruction area. | | | | them. We have gotten great marks for our |
| Teachers hope to build connections between what | | | | curriculum for years. |
| they do in the Bright Beginnings program and | | | | |