Category Archives: Preschool

Registration is open for pre-K students  

HISD offers high-quality instruction to help young learners reach their full potential 

Give your child a head start by enrolling them in prekindergarten now.

Pre-K is just as necessary for academic success as kindergarten or first grade, research shows. Not only will your child be more successful in school, but they will be more likely to graduate high school, attend college, and earn higher wages as an adult.

While all children benefit from pre-K, disadvantaged and low-income students often make the most gains. Children who are dual-language learners develop English-language proficiency and other valuable skills. Research shows that children who have enrolled in pre-K gain an advantage over their peers in the classroom.

HISD offers both free and tuition-based pre-K at many schools, as well as early childhood centers. All pre-K students in the district receive breakfast and lunch during a full day of instruction from certified teachers.

HISD expands free, full-day pre-K program at Woodson PK-5

To be eligible for free enrollment (non-tuition-based pre-K), your child must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2018, and live within the boundaries of HISD.  Additional requirements can be found here, as well as the district’s policy on 3-year-olds.   Continue reading →

HISD expands free, full-day pre-K program at Woodson PK-5

New offerings include free transportation and after-school care, 11:1 student-teacher ratio for 3- and 4-year-olds

HISD is expanding its full-day pre-kindergarten program at Woodson PK-5 Leadership Academy to provide more 3- and 4-year-old students in the Sunnyside community with the opportunity to attend a high-quality program that will build a strong foundation of learning and will support the transportation, after-school care, and health needs of the families it serves.

The school will be hosting three upcoming events to encourage parents to enroll, including a pre-K roundup day, neighborhood block walk, and a registration carnival with school supply giveaways for 3- and 4-year-olds, immunizations, and a food bank.

Students who attend Woodson for pre-K in the 2018-19 school year will benefit from multisensory, hands-on instruction from high-quality teachers, as well as: Continue reading →

Parents encouraged to register for pre-K during Week of the Young Child on April 16-20 

The Houston Independent School District is encouraging parents to register early for pre-K for the 2018-2019 school year during the Week of the Young Child, which is April 16 through 20.

Pre-registration will still be available before and after this week, but schools are celebrating the Week of the Young Child as a formal window for pre-K roundup and to showcase HISD programs and celebrate the district’s young learners. The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Finding a program

To locate an Early Childhood Center or an HISD Elementary School, visit HoustonISD.org/FindASchool. Filter your search by clicking the PK grade level button in the Advanced Search. You may also email the HISD Early Childhood Curriculum Department at Curriculum@HoustonISD.org. Continue reading →

Register for HIPPY’s Back to School Festival on Aug. 5 

HISD’s Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) will hold its Back to School Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Kingdom Builders Center (6011 W. Orem, 77085).

Parents of children ages 0-11 or in grades pre-K through 5 are encouraged to attend. At the event, parents will be able to learn more about the HIPPY program, connect with HISD and community resources, receive free back-to-school supplies, and have the chance to win prizes. Lunch will be provided.

To register, go to HoustonISD.org/HippyFestival or call 713-967-5298. The registration deadline is July 21.

HIPPY works with parents of 3- and 4-year-old children to help prepare their preschool child for academic success. Instructors visit parents in their homes for an hour a week in a 30-week period and cover early literacy skills, mathematics, science, fine and gross motor skills, and language development. Research shows that HISD kindergarten students whose parents have participated in the HIPPY program significantly outperform their peers in reading and math. Interested families can contact the HIPPY office at 713-967-5298.

Celebrate the Week of the Young Child on April 24-28 

The week of April 24-28 is the Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to put a public spotlight on the needs of young children and address those needs through early childhood programs and services.

Studies have shown children who receive high-quality early education learn fundamental literacy and mathematical skills that transfer to later grades, earn higher test scores, and are more likely to attend a four-year college.  Continue reading →

Rice University study: HISD pre-K students more prepared for kindergarten 

A study by Rice University released Wednesday has found that the Houston Independent School District’s pre-K program significantly increases preparedness for kindergarten after as little as one year compared to students who do not attend pre-K.

The study, conducted by a postdoctoral fellow at the university, cites English and Spanish assessment scores from kindergarten students after one and two years of pre-K.

The study found that English-assessment test takers who attended one year of HISD pre-K had 2.8 times greater odds of being ready for kindergarten than a student who attended zero years of HISD pre-K. Students who attended two years of HISD pre-K had 3.8 times greater odds of being school-ready than those who attended zero years of HISD pre-K, and 1.4 greater odds of being school-ready than those who attend one year of HISD pre-K.

Get the detailed report here.

More than 600 HISD teachers gather for Pre-K summit 

New resources and training part of $9 million state grant

pre-k-1HISD Pre-K teachers recently gathered to learn new strategies, share best practices, and discover a new districtwide resource they can use to support the home-school connection.

Over 600 teachers from across the district attended HISD’s Prekindergarten Saturday Summit on Oct. 8. The half day of training and professional development was kicked off by HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza, who told the crowd that he prefers to address them as “early educators.”

Continue reading →

Telemundo, Chick-fil-A want to recognize outstanding HISD teachers

Know an outstanding teacher who deserves kudos and free Chick-fil-A? Then nominate them for Telemundo/Chick-fil-A’s Teacher of the Month program.

The partnership seeks to recognize HISD educators who inspire their students, are involved in the community, and routinely go above and beyond in the classroom.  Continue reading →

HISD receiving $9.2 million grant from TEA for pre-K program

The Texas Education Agency on Tuesday awarded the Houston Independent School District a $9.2 million grant to enhance its early childhood education program.

HISD is among 578 school systems across Texas to be awarded a grant as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s high-quality prekindergarten initiative. The $116 million grant program allows districts and charters to receive funding for qualifying pre-K students in addition to the half-day Foundation School Program funding that is already received for each eligible pre-K student. To receive the grant funding, a district or charter must meet certain enhanced quality standards related to curriculum, teacher qualifications, academic performance, and family engagement.

Continue reading →

Take a trip around the world at expo of Pre-K students’ work

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In honor of Laurenzo Early Childhood Center becoming a dual-language school this year, the faculty adopted an international theme for their annual expo. Every class chose a different country to study for eight weeks, and their project-based lesson plans included students’ asking questions, engaging in investigations, and making discoveries.

Continue reading →