Resources for Families
Families’ Frequently Asked Questions
The Office of Early Learning has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document and Prekindergarten overview document for families. To aid in your understanding, the following documents include helpful questions and answers to the most commonly asked topics about Prekindergarten eligibility.
Resource Guides for School Success in Early Learning
The New York State Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Learning Standards: A Resource for School Success are grade-specific resources that consolidate all learning standards into one comprehensive document that provides a uniform format to make them easily accessible for teachers, specialists, administrators and parents. From a planning perspective, these documents highlight the importance of addressing children’s development and learning across all developmental domains.
These resources are not a curriculum, assessment, or set of teaching strategies but rather, resources for the learning that students should accomplish by the end of prekindergarten, kindergarten, first, and second grade. Users are encouraged to also review the full articulations of the New York State Learning Standards.
Family Tip Sheets
Tip Sheets were created for families, with hopes that school districts and educational centers will provide these Tip Sheets on a monthly basis or as needed to the families in their preschool programs. Each Tip Sheet covers one area of learning, and provides strategies, activities that can be done at home, and additional resources. Districts can download the Tip Sheets, customize it with the district name and date, and distribute it to families.
Annual Program Evaluation Completed by Families
Families, parents, and/or guardians annually complete a prekindergarten program evaluation and/or survey. The school district applies results to program improvement, and regularly provides updated program quality information to families and the community. This resource includes sample end-of-year family survey items.
Family Guide to NYS Early Childhood Services
Located on the New York State Council on Children and Families website, this publication is a resource guide for families to connect and link children to early childhood services throughout New York State.
Suggested Websites
Explore a selection of online resources for families, including networking and educational activities.