Georgia’s Pre-K Program Offering Resources for At Home Learning


Pre-K Specialists Encourage Age-Appropriate Hands-on Activities

Running out of good ideas for your Georgia’s Pre-K Program student while they’re at home? The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is coming to the rescue with a web page of family resources and activities reviewed and endorsed by the nationally acclaimed high-quality early childhood education program.

“Following the Governor’s Executive Order closing public elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction, Georgia’s Pre-K Program classes in both public schools and private programs are closed through April 24, 2020,” said DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs. “We are hearing from parents who need more age-appropriate activities for their children during this time and our Pre-K specialists wanted to help.”

DECAL is offering “Georgia Pre-K At Home.” The site includes educational resources divided into four categories:

  1. Storytime,
  2. Virtual Field Trips,
  3. Let’s Go Outside, and
  4. Screen-Free Time.

Activities are based on the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) and intentionally involve simple household items easily found at home.

“With elementary and secondary schools, we are seeing a lot of online learning, which is great for older students,” said Deputy Commissioner for Georgia’s Pre-K Program and Instructional Supports Susan Adams. “Infants, Toddlers, and Pre-K children learn best from hands-on and engaging activities. And we know children love to learn with their families.”

Georgia’s Pre-K Program began in 1992 as a pilot program serving 750 at-risk four-year-old children and their families at 20 sites. These programs were school-based, center-based, and home-based programs best suited to meeting individual community needs. Three million dollars from state funds paid for the program. In 1993-94, the first lottery funds were utilized to provide prekindergarten programs for more than 8,700 at-risk four-year-old children. Today, Georgia’s Pre-K Program serves more than 80,000 four-year-olds in all 159 counties.

Contact:
Reg Griffin
DECAL Communications Director
404-656-0239
reg.griffin@decal.ga.gov

Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is responsible for meeting the child care and early education needs of Georgia’s children and their families. It administers the nationally recognized Georgia’s Pre-K Program, licenses child care centers and home-based child care, administers Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, federal nutrition programs, and manages Quality Rated, Georgia’s community powered child care rating system. The department also houses the Head Start State Collaboration Office, distributes federal funding to enhance the quality and availability of child care, and works collaboratively with Georgia child care resource and referral agencies and organizations throughout the state to enhance early care and education.