Mi Escuelita Preschool is an early childhood program dedicated to teaching English and developing early learning skills to at-risk children of all cultures for preparation toward a successful school experience.

Early Childhood Program

Mi Escuelita serves children ages 2-5. Mi Escuelita Head Start locations admit children ages 3-4, while Mi Escuelita Private locations admit children ages 2½-4. With over 80% of language skills developed by age 5, early childhood education is imperative to reduce dropout rates in later years. Over the last five years, Mi Escuelita has increased capacity by 50% while the waiting list for the program continues to expand. Currently there are seven sites serving 468 children, and a waiting list with over 300 children. In Fall 2007, Mi Escuelita plans to increase the number of classrooms to serve 512 fulltime students.

Teaching English

At Mi Escuelita we use unique curriculum to teach our children English, while ensuring that native language skills are preserved.  Programs, books, home-activities and volunteer readers are just some of the ways that Mi Escuelita teaches the children English language and literacy skills.  Mi Escuelita classrooms are print-rich environments which increase the children’s ability to recognize and learn letters, numbers, words, and proper sentence structure.  Phonological awareness is taught through poetry, songs, music, and letter games.

Developing Early Learning Skills

Early learning skills are developed through a variety of lessons.  Mi Escuelita’s curriculum and lessons are constantly evaluated and adapted to encompass innovative ideas and studies.  Subjects and skills covered in Mi Escuelita’s current curriculum include:

English language Pre-reading Literacy Math Science & Nutrition Computer basics Social interaction and etiquette

At-Risk Children

In 2005, over 50% of the children entering kindergarten in Texas spoke little to no English.  In Dallas, the dropout rate among Hispanic children with limited English proficiency is estimated to be 64%.  Over 80% of Hispanic dropouts claim that their inability to effectively communicate in English significantly impacted their decision to leave school.  Mi Escuelita works with at-risk children to ensure that they receive a quality education as well as preventative health, dental, vision, nutritional, speech, and behavioral care.

All Cultures

Mi Escuelita serves children and families of all cultural and language backgrounds.

Successful School Experience

Mi Escuelita is successful due to a continual focus on the mission of the organization and measurable annual outcomes:

• All children are tested upon entering the program and rank in the lower 10th percentile in English language abilities.  Upon leaving Mi Escuelita, children test in the 40-50th percentile.
   

• After completing the program, children demonstrate a 3,500-word English language vocabulary, compared to an average base vocabulary of 3,000 words for a native English speaking five year old.  Mi Escuelita also strives to ensure that native language skills are enhanced through an extensive home-activity curriculum component.
   

• 90% of Mi Escuelita children transition directly into English speaking classrooms, alleviating the need for bilingual education and enabling children to avoid remedial English education in later years.