LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada families preparing young children for kindergarten have a free resource available to them: an at-home early learning program called Waterford UPSTART that requires just 15 minutes a day, five days a week.
Gabby Munoz, a busy working mother, enrolled her son Ethan in the program when he was 3 years old. He was already attending preschool, but his sessions were limited.
"He was going to pre-K, preschool, but it was only 2.5 hours a day. So I was just looking for a little bit extra," Munoz said.
The flexible format fit her family's schedule.
"Working full time, my husband working full time. We were just trying to find something that was flexible," Munoz said.
Waterford.org is a national nonprofit that provides research-backed lessons in reading, math, and science. Tiarha Huerta with Waterford.org said the program is designed with clear academic goals in mind.
"We focus on making sure that children are set up for success, making, uh, meeting the outcomes of kindergarten readiness and early 3rd grade reading," Huerta said.
On average, 89% of children advance a full year or more beyond expected growth after completing the UPSTART program, according to Huerta.
Ethan, who is heading into 1st grade, is among those success stories.
"Improvements with his reading, math, science. It definitely has helped, uh, helped them learn A, B, Cs, just overall get ready for kindergarten. Um, he is reading. He's excelled in reading all thanks to Upstart," Munoz said.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services funds the initiative. The program provides a computer and internet access to families who need them, and families who complete the program get to keep the device at no cost.
Huerta said community trust is central to the program's mission.
"It's really our biggest thing is to embed ourselves within the community so that we can be part of the community, we can build that trust for families and they know that this is a resource that they can take advantage of," Huerta said.
The program is open to pre-K aged children who will enter kindergarten in 2027.
"We wanna make sure that children are able to read and they have all the skills that they need for when they do make the transition into kindergarten, they are ready and confident," Huerta said.
For Munoz, the program has delivered something beyond academics.
"So luckily we do have the program in Nevada," Munoz said.
Families must sign up by Sept. 8, when the new school year program officially begins. More information is available at Waterford.org.
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