Across the nation, children are being left behind as early as the first day of kindergarten. While many children begin school with strong language skills and a familiarity with books, games and toys, many others start school unprepared. In fact, research has shown that children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words by the time they are four than do kids from middle-class families.

This directly impacts brain development and can put a low income child at a great disadvantage when they begin kindergarten at age five or six. To further complicate matters, these children are often from households where isolation, poverty, lack of transportation, and/or language and literacy barriers have prevented parents from participating in early childhood education activities. When they begin kindergarten, these children are often discovering books and quality verbal interaction for the first time. They do not have the vocabulary they need to succeed, so they begin their academic careers a critical step behind their peers. Consequently, these children are at high risk of having significant difficulty in kindergarten and the later grades.

Parent-Child Home Program

More than 40 years ago, the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) was created to address this significant learning gap among low-income children. PCHP is a research-based and research-validated early literacy and school readiness program that serves families with 2- and 3-year-olds. Atlantic Street Center is one of just a few organizations in the greater Seattle area that offers the Parent-Child Home Program. PCHP is a home-based program for parents and their two- and three-year-old children that promotes learning and language development through the use of books and toys. Trained home visitors visit families twice a week and lead sessions with the child and parent using books and toys that the home visitor brings (and the family keeps). PCHP services are complemented by Play & Learn groups for children and their caregivers. These groups reinforce the home-based program and provide the essential experience of learning through play.

Contact us to learn more about our Early Learning Program
Please contact us at (206) 329-2050 or Email us.