Fort Worth ISD offers parent-child education classes to prepare for pre-K, kindergarten. Why?

Infants and toddlers who are too young to formally enroll in their local school district are getting a taste of the classroom environment alongside their parents through an early childhood program offered by Fort Worth ISD.

The Zero to Five program offers free parent-child education classes where children are getting prepared for pre-K and kindergarten while their parents learn how to guide them along the way. The classes, made possible by Title I funding, are offered once a week throughout the school year across six elementary schools. It appears to be among the first of its kind in the area, as administrators say they’re unaware of a similar program that caters to children and parents and is offered by a school district at no cost. The district utilizes social media, signage and school events to promote the program to eligible families.

Program Specialist Alma Serrano describes it as a way for families to build connections with the district early on while their children get a head start on literacy and math, in addition to building motor skills and establishing a routine. This is the third school year the program’s been in place, and Serrano anticipates it will increase pre-K and kindergarten enrollment. Families within Fort Worth ISD boundaries with children up to 5-years-old are primarily served, but those outside of the district can also join.

“Whenever they get ready to go into pre-K, they pretty much have met all their milestones. We’ve taken care of all of that,” Serrano said. “In the spring… they know how to walk in a line. They know what to expect here in circle time. They’ll sing along; They’ll learn their colors. You’ll see that progress (from) when they start in August until May.”

During an Oct. 30 class at M.H. Moore Elementary, learning numbers and understanding small quantities took focus as children counted a picture with five pumpkins in English and Spanish and recreated the picture during activity time. A sheet was displayed on each table in the classroom with tips for parents on how to reinforce counting at home — such as counting the number of steps to bed each night — with background information on how young children begin to understand quantities.

“At around age 2, children are starting to understand quantities. They know the difference between one cookie and a box of cookies! But their understanding is still influenced by their perception of how objects look. They may think a cookie broken in two pieces is more than one whole cookie,” the tip sheet explained.

Annalee Esparza said the program has helped her 3-year-old daughter Sophia better engage with other children her age.

“I thought it was really important for her to learn how to share,” Esparza said. “This (program) won’t only help your child, it will also help you… I definitely recommend it.”

The program — previously known as the Parents as Teachers program — also teaches parents how to screen their children for potential developmental delays. When Esparza and her older son were enrolled in Parents as Teachers, she was able to recognize the signs of autism when he was about 1 year old and identify the resources he needed.

For Maria Jacobo, her son graduated from the program in May of this year before enrolling in the district’s pre-K 3 program. She told the Star-Telegram in Spanish, through a bilingual district staffer who translated, that her son is excelling in school. The Zero to Five program helped each of them become more independent and create a smoother transition from a home setting to a school setting.

“It’s the attention that the teachers give to the families and kiddos, and also all the support, helping them to grow,” Jacobo said of the program through a translator.

M.H. Moore Elementary Principal Ricardo Alvarez said the knowledge of letters, numbers, shapes and colors at a young age will have a positive impact on the rest of the children’s academic careers. He described it as “the foundation of the foundation.”

“I believe in the work that we are doing here and how it’s going to help our students be more successful, not only academically, but in life. Because they are learning how to self regulate; They are learning how to interact with each other. So, how to live in our society,” Alvarez said.