By Bracey Harris 

A growing body of research shows that children who start kindergarten without a firm grasp of the basics are more vulnerable to poor academic outcomes in later grades. That’s often the case in Mississippi, where nearly two-thirds of the state’s 5-year-olds were not ready to enter kindergarten this year.
 
Now, early learning advocates are even more worried about the state’s youngest learners. Before the pandemic resulted in widespread school closures, nearly half of the state’s 4-year-olds likely weren’t attending preschool at all. And just 34 percent attended a public preschool or a Head Start center. With all schools closed through the end of the year and most Head Start centers shuttered too, even fewer 4-year-olds are likely to arrive at school with adequate preparation next school year.
 
A Utah-based nonprofit is expanding its online kindergarten-readiness program to families across Mississippi and eight other states in an effort to fill the gap. Last year, 700 Mississippi kids logged onto the online curriculum, Waterford Upstart, created by Waterford.org. This summer, the number will grow to 2,500 children in Mississippi, and 15,000 rising kindergarteners nationally.
 
The program has been met with skepticism from experts worried about excessive screen time for young children, but has been praised by local educators who say it has improved students’ school readiness.
 
For at least 15 minutes per day, kids -- ideally with adult supervision -- work through online lessons focusing on early literacy, numerical and science skills. Waterford.org also provides families with laptops and internet service, helping reduce the digital divide that would have prevented many low-income kids from logging on.
 
Waterford.org will direct $9 million toward the project. Several philanthropic organizations, including the Overdeck Family Foundation and The Valhalla Charitable Foundation, are providing additional financial backing. As of Monday, nearly 700 families had signed up to participate, according to LaTasha Hadley, vice president for state education partnerships for Waterford.org. Families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (an income no higher than $52,400 for a family of four) qualify to sign up.
 
The Mississippi Head Start Association, already a current partner of Waterford.org, has encouraged families to look into the kindergarten readiness program. Several Head Start sites in Mississippi have already shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, while others are set to close this month for the summer.
 
“Children really need to have as much support during this interim as they can get,” said Nita Norphlet-Thompson, executive director of the Mississippi Head Start Association.
 
Waterford.org initially launched a pilot program in Mississippi in 2017d. Hadley said the goal for this summer’s initiative is for children to log on for at least 25 minutes per day, five days a week from June to August. The software also offers instructions in Spanish to support English language learners.
 
Early education experts argue that some of the most beneficial aspects of preschool, such as learning to share and socializing with peers, can’t be replicated online. And researchers have expressed concern that racking up too much screen time can be bad for kids. (Hadley said the program’s usage guidelines are in line with what’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Families are also assigned a coach who will reach out to parents or caregivers if kids stay online for an extended amount of time).
 
But Adrian Hammitte, a superintendent in one of the Magnolia State’s high-needs school districts, said results from the first few years of the program have been promising, showing gains in students’ kindergarten readiness. An internal program evaluation by Waterford.org found that 78 percent of participants in Mississippi during the 2018-19 school year met or exceeded the program’s target for “kindergarten beginning” skills, meaning they had achieved skills such as letter recognition.
 
Hammitte, who is superintendent in the Jefferson County School District, is optimistic that the program will help curtail at least some of the learning loss that kids often experience during summertime.

• “Mississippi to receive millions in education CARES Act funds,” Mississippi Today

• “Former Texas mayor named president at college in Mississippi,” Associated Press