Frequently Asked Questions

Early learning is not just about learning shapes, colors, numbers and letters. It's about everything a child learns in the first several years of life that might impact future school success. That includes everything from motor skills, to developing social and emotional competence, to language and literacy, to cognitive skills. The key to fostering early learning is providing an atmosphere that's fun and nurturing. Brain research has shown that nurturing a child can stimulate the growth of that child's brain and form the building blocks for future learning.

United Way of Pinal County views school readiness as an outcome of its work around early learning. According to the National Education Goals Panel, school readiness pertains to: (1) children's readiness to enter school; (2) schools' readiness for children, and (3) family and community supports that contribute to children's readiness for school. [Child Trends, 2001; Kagan, Moore and Bredekamp, 1995].

Early literacy has to do with preparing children to read and write, not necessarily the teaching of reading. Children learn how to read in school. Before they enter school, the focus should be on teaching them the concepts that prepare them to read, such as the idea that letters can be put together to create words, which have distinct meanings. As with any learning in the early years, the focus should be on inspiring kids to want to learn by nurturing them and teaching them through everyday moments.