Baldwin Hills Preschool Receives iPads For Blended Learning Program
BALDWIN HILLS (CBSLA.com) — A Head Start preschool in Baldwin Hills received iPads this week to provide children with an early learning math program implemented at 10 Los Angeles Universal Preschool sites.
The school, which is part of a federal program that promotes learning for children under 5 years old for low-income families, is implementing the Pre-K ST Math program to develop foundations in math as defined by the California Department of Education, including counting, identifying shapes and understanding addition and subtraction concepts.
The nonprofit MIND Research Institute created the program for 1,400 preschoolers, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation.
"We're grateful to the Keck Foundation for sharing our vision of ensuring all children have the mathematical skills necessary to not just succeed in school but to become problem solvers and innovative thinkers," Matthew Peterson, Ph.D., cofounder and Chief Operating Officer of MIND Research Institute, said in a statement in September. "I'm particularly excited about the opportunities of compounding the learning effects by focusing on preschool age children."
The three-year grant will also provide professional development sessions by MIND Research staff for 20 preschool teachers, who can then use the learning program to establish a blended learning environment in their classrooms that combines group lessons, and individual, self-paced work on computers.
"At LAUP, our mission is to provide an affordable and accessible quality preschool education to 4-year-olds living in LA County, because all children deserve a year of engaging, thought-provoking learning activities to ensure their kindergarten readiness," Celia C. Ayala, CEO of LAUP, said. "Young children are naturally curious and drawn to exploration, scientific discovery and patterns, and we are excited for this grant opportunity from the MIND Research Institute and the Keck Foundation to help more children become better prepared for their future academic success."
The LAUP is a nonprofit network of more than 300 preschool sites, established to fund a free or low-cost, quality preschool education to better prepare children to succeed in school.
