Over the last decade, educators and policymakers have started to really embrace the importance of early learning on a child’s life. In Washington State, the creation of the Department of Early Learning and Thrive by Five are some of the examples of our growing commitment to investing in young children.
Now, the conversation among early learning advocates is beginning to include strategies to ensure the benefits of pre-kindergarten education continue into grade school.
One successful model is The New School in Seattle. The school is a unique public/private partnership with Seattle Public Schools. The innovative model emphasizes development of the whole child. It begins with high quality preschool and kindergarten programs and small class sizes for individualized learning.
Want to see what this successful model looks like? The New School Foundation produced the following video to show the impact of its program that aligns pre-kindergarten through third grade education.
