Free Early Childhood Education Program Comes To Maine

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) – Maine has a new educational option for four-year-olds who meet certain criteria. It establishes a foundation in early literature, science, and arithmetic in order to prepare children for kindergarten.

The free Waterford.org initiative gives youngsters access to a computer and the internet so they can finish the curriculum.
Maine children beginning kindergarten in the 2022-2023 school year are eligible for the program, which started in early January.

This curriculum, according to Bangor Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kathy Harris-Smedberg, might be used as a complement to kindergarten programs.
"We don't really advocate a lot of screen time for kids this age," Harris-Smedberg said, "but we do know that students use it, so if they're [searching for] something entertaining and concrete from it, that would be a benefit."

Coaches are present throughout the program to give direction and assistance. At the conclusion of the program, the family may retain the computer.
The online program takes just 15 minutes every day, five days a week to complete.

Simra Bulama, a five-year-old from Bangor, has been using the software for about a month. Halima Ladan, her mother, thought the program was ideal for her daughter.
"The enrollment is in September, so we'll have to wait until September to get her enrolled in school, and the closest pre-k school [said] they don't have any openings right now," Ladan said.
" What we want to do is identify deficiencies in specific states and address them with our program," said Kim Fischer, Waterford.org's national spokesperson.