(Good Things Utah) For only 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, your child can enter grade school with all the skills and knowledge required to read on the same level as their peers, if not better. Waterford Upstart has provided these opportunities to more than 150,000 kids around the nation, and at completely NO COST to their families.
“It costs absolutely nothing because this is sponsored by the state,” adds Kim Fischer, the National Spokesperson for Waterford Upstart.
Working with families who have children entering kindergarten, and with funding approved earlier this year to offset the pandemic, the non-profit Waterford Upstart program offers children a fun alternative way to learn how to read. The at-home curriculum gives kids all the help they need through a series of fun games and activities on an interactive computer program. These engaging programs have made it easier for both children and their parents to prep for a more active focus on literacy in kindergarten and beyond.
“With the pandemic, it was wonderful to have that consistency,” says Rachel, who has used the Waterford program with her four children, including 6-year-old Hannah. “…she loves the motorcycle game.”
As part of the Waterford Upstart program, the courses are easy to follow as they involve:
- 15 minutes per day
- Five days a week
- Help from a coach
- Lessons on mindset skills
- Computer and internet (if needed)
They’ve also partnered with Granite School District to provide Waterford Upstart to its third-graders who are reading on a first-grade level. The goal of these programs is to get those students on par with their peers. In addition to literacy courses, children can also sign up to practice their math and science skills through the Upstart at-home program.
Kim Fischer remarks, “we all know that there’s a teacher shortage right now… Teachers are tired, exhausted, they’re mentally drained after the pandemic. This is something that’s going to allow those children (in the Granite School District) to prepare for school, pre-k all the way through 3rd, so they walk in with some literacy from over the summer.”
For more information and to register for the program, visit them online at WaterfordUpstart.org or call them at 888-982-9898.
**This segment contains sponsored content
