YMCA of Austin Early Learning Readiness

Program Overview

YMCA of Austin provides a unique two-generation approach to close achievement gaps among low-income children through the ELR program. The program offers early education to children and developing parenting skills for low-income, Spanish-speaking families in the community. Based on a research and evidence-based "Play and Learn" family interaction model, ELR inherently brings the two-generation approach to both children and their parents to open doors to greater opportunities through education and training. Originally designed to help non-English speaking, immigrant individuals or military families, ELR is a free, bilingual program that aims to provide an early education for low-income, Spanish-speaking children and parenting education for their parents to better guide and influence their children.

Serving children between ages two and four from low-income, primarily Spanish-speaking families, ELR offers a weekly two-hour session twice a week, for 15 weeks in the fall or spring semester. ELR provides an early start for these at-risk children who often lack access to other early education options. During each semester, 15 children and 15 of their parents participate at each site of the current three sites. The two-hour-long session begins with a circle time when children gather and start the day with singing, reading, calendar skills and more. Then, the children and their parents choose from different activity centers, which offer a variety of interactive and engaging activities, such as art, reading, dramatic play, manipulatives, and water or sand play. In addition, ELR programs take a field trip a few times during each semester to further enrich the learning experience for the children.

Cost Info