Countdown to Kindergarten is designed to foster important and lasting relationships between teachers, students, and families. Teachers visit rising Kindergarten students’ homes throughout the summer before they enter school, building a foundation of support for the coming year, and introducing important learning concepts drawn directly from the South Carolina Early Learning Standards.  Through these unique home visits, teachers support parents and caregivers as they shape their expectations and hopes for their own children’s school experience. In addition to building trusting relationships between school and home, each visit is designed to introduce important learning concepts and will include a book or other manipulatives. During 2011-12  the Anderson County First Steps Partnership was able to expand services to all eligible families in the five Anderson school districts because of a generous grant from the United Way of Anderson County.

Tips for Parents:

Teaching young children can be as simple as reading, singing, or talking with them, but many parents are unsure about what to do. First Steps is working to give families in Anderson County a place to turn for help by providing the right services, programs and resources.

• Let your child make simple choices.
• Make learning fun. Visit new and interesting places together like the library, a bakery, a museum, the zoo or a park.
• Spend 30 minutes a day reading to and with your child.

• For links to other Parenting Tips, go to:

www.scfirststeps.org/earlyed.htm

www.scfirststeps.org/braindev.htm

www.scfirststeps.org/schooltrans.htm

www.scfirststeps.org/healthystart.htm

www.scfirststeps.org/childcare.htm

www.scfirststeps.org/familystrength.htm