Early Learning Benchmarks

Did you know…

Nationally, teachers report that more than 40% of new kindergartners are not fully prepared or “ready” for school?
In Washington State, kindergarten teachers report that only 44% of children are adequately prepared for school. This means that over half of entering kindergartners are not ready.*

The achievement gap begins before kindergarten. There is a preparation or “readiness” gap among our preschool-age population.

Why is this so critical?

Children who start behind too often stay behind.

Washington State has developed benchmarks that help guide children’s development and learning. The benchmarks are a set of standards that reflect expectations for children’s knowledge and behavior. Look, Listen and Learn incorporates the following Washington State Benchmarks in our program segments:

Physical well being
Health and motor skills
Social and emotional development
Approaches toward learning
Language, communication and literacy

The Community connection

Not all parents-caregivers have the resources or understand how to successfully prepare their children for school. Look, Listen and Learn will offer safe, age appropriate activities that parents and caregivers can engage in with their children to foster school readiness.

Look, Listen and Learn also connects parents and children to resources in their own local communities that foster early learning.

The program will model ways parents can interact and play with children and will provide age-appropriate lessons. In addition, the show will model positive social and emotional skills for children who may not be getting that type of attention in their day-to-day lives.

Washington State Benchmarks

WA State Benchmark Domains	LLL Segments	Skills Taught
I. Physical well being, health and motor development	Cooking, health, safety, arts & crafts	Developing imagination and creativity, eye-hand coordination, colors, shapes, relationship with space and size, math skills, noticing details, following directions and self-expression
II. Social & emotional development	Story time, laugh lines, field trips	Vocabulary, language development, writing, social skills, and cooperation
III. Approaches toward learning	Field trips, story time, creative time	Social skills, relationships with space and size, self expression
IV. Language, communication and literacy	Story time, word of the day, cooking, laugh lines	Language, decision making, cooperation vocabulary, thinking skills, listening skills

*Source: David Pavelchek, “Teacher Perceptions of Preparedness for Kindergarten”, Social & Economic Sciences Research Center-Puget Sound Division, Washington State University, April 2005.

Please join us in our efforts to bring educational programming that is local, smart and accessible to all families and children in King County.

You may also send a donation to:
The Shunpike,
c/o Look, Listen and Learn!
3518 Fremont Avenue North #118
Seattle, WA, 98103

Thank you for your encouragement and support!

E-mail: looklistenandlearn@msn.com

Mailing address:

Look Listen & Learn
100 Andover Park West, Suite 150-121
Tukwila, WA, 98188

Phone: 206-293-8860 of Producer/Host Val Thomas-Matson

Shunpike, a 501©(3) non-profit organization has partnered with Look, Listen and Learn as our fiscal sponsor. This means that your donation to Look, Listen and Learn will be tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Donations can be made via check. Please make payment to Shunpike and include Look, Listen and Learn in the memo line.