Early Childhood Learning
It is never too early to start learning.
Parent-Tot
Cooler weather means we are back in the upstairs area of the LIFRC: Wednesdays from 10:30AM – 11:30AM.
The Parent/Tot program provides enrichment to new families and prepares children for preschool. Parent/Tot groups are the first step on a continuum of community-supported education involving collaboration between LIFRC, the Lopez Children’s Center and Lopez School.
Our English and Spanish parent leaders plan and facilitate parent-tot social groups using guidelines from the Kaleidoscope Play and Learn Curriculum, which includes arts and crafts activities, music, dance and games. Parents connect weekly with other parents who have children aged 0-5, to share and learn about the joys and challenges of raising children. Vroom literature and materials are incorporated in our sessions as well for fun and easy early-learning experiences.
For more information or to get on our mailing list for monthly updates, please email Katy Hill, Early Learning Programs Manager.
Therapeutic Play Program
“A Playroom for Me!” is our Preschool-based therapeutic play program. Students, referred to the program by teachers, staff, or parents, spend 30 minutes in the playroom once a week. In this one-to-one, child-centered setting, children play through situations related to social and emotional skills. Research shows that children who receive this type of support in school may experience increased self-esteem, improved focus and ability to learn, and more positive social interactions.
To learn more, review our fact sheet: A Playroom for Me! (English) / ¡Una sala de juegos para mí! (Español). For any questions, please email Katy Hill, Early Learning Programs Manager.
The Therapeutic Play Program also runs at Lopez Island Elementary School as PIP (Primary Intervention Program). For more information on PIP, please contact Katy Hill, Early Learning Programs Manager.
To learn more, review our fact sheet by clicking on the button below.
Para obtener más información, revise nuestra hoja informativa haciendo clic en el botón a continuación.
Literacy Intervention
In 2022 we teamed up with the Lopez Island Elementary School and the Lopez Island Library to pair reading coaches with 14 students for one-on-one literacy tutoring as part of a 6 week summer program. We learned a great deal from that experience and are now partnering with the Lopez Island School in a collaborative effort that is rippling outwards and echoing successes.
Under the guidance and training of Debbie Kosman, retired Reading Specialist, (though her heart will never truly retire), and Katy Hill, Early Learning Program Manager at LIFRC, a team of five Literacy Interventionists, or Coaches, are now working weekly with 16 students in first through third grades. Having adopted “Echo Time!” a literacy intervention curriculum from the Wilson FUNdations (yes, that is spelled correctly), Coaches go above and beyond what’s expected of them adding their own games, books, knowledge, and activities based on the individual learning needs of each child, creating a rich, multimodal learning experience rooted in the fundamentals of phonetic reading skills and the Science of Reading.
Similar to the summer program, Coaches seek to not only increase literacy skills but also help students discover a lasting love for reading as their skills and confidence grow.
And your support is helping to make that a reality!
Recently, the LIFRC was able to purchase and donate a set of Geodes® Books to Lopez Island Elementary school. Geodes® books are built on the best practices of the Science of Reading and are designed to be both accessible and enriching so that students can simultaneously learn to read and read to learn.
The program has only been up and going for a little over a month now, but teachers are already reporting a noticeably higher level of confidence in the attending students.
Perhaps the most rewarding feedback we’ve received so far, however, is the following interaction with a second grader. Early last week, after acing a review that asked them to correctly identify and use the letters ‘p’, ‘qu’, ‘b’ and ‘d’, the student leaned into their coach and whispered, “You want to know a secret? I used to not be able to read. I didn’t like it. But now I CAN! And I LOVE it!” as they beamed with pride.
“You want to know a secret? I used to not be able to read. I didn't like it. But now I CAN! And I LOVE it!"
-Elementary student
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