TOGETHER! Right from the Start Program Prepares Kids for Kindergarten

Kindergarten teachers Mrs. Cornman and Mrs. Nakano (pictured) share ways to work with children at home for kindergarten readiness and hand out early learning toys. Photo credit: Right from the Start
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TOGETHER! has a mission to advance the health and wellbeing of all young people, so it makes sense that when the opportunity arose to run the Right from the Start program in partnership with Rochester Primary School, they did so with open arms.


Nancy Villanueva facilitating the Ready for Kindergarten Spanish fall workshop. Photo credit: Right from the Start

Right from the Start is an early learning resource center located inside Rochester Primary School and funded by United Way of Thurston County. The center offers events, classes and information to parents, caregivers and families of children ages birth to 5 years old. It’s run by a sole employee, Nancy Villanueva, the program manager with the program for two years. “Being the coordinator, I focus on connecting with low-income, underserved families,” says Nancy. “I reach out to them and give them information about workshops, as well as referrals and support to be able to help guide parents to maximizing their child’s healthy development and school readiness.”

A large focus is ensuring children are set up for success when they reach kindergarten. Nancy explains that for lower-income families, it can be hard to prioritize teaching a young child the alphabet when families are stressed about making rent or having food on the table. “It’s not that they don’t want to teach their kids, it’s just that life can sometimes make it difficult,” she says.

Right from the Start offers many tools to assist these families.

Monthly Story Time

Story time, where parents are working on a snowman on a sled craft activity with their kids after listening to stories read by a volunteer. Photo credit: Right from the Start

Story Time happens every first and third Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Rochester Community Library. These monthly events are in partnership with South Sound Reading Foundation. A volunteer from the Foundation reads a book and free books are given to children in attendance. After, they do crafts, sing and other activities.

Hands On Children’s Museum Field Trips

Twice a year, Right from the Start partners with Hands On Children’s Museum to provide a free day at the museum for parents and children. The kids explore, role play and complete crafts. The day also provides the opportunity to ride on a school bus.

“We provide the transportation to the museum in a big yellow school bus so that both the parents and the children can experience riding in one,” explains Nancy. “Especially for the little ones, when they start Kindergarten they might be intimidated by such a big vehicle. This gives them a chances to get on one with their parents before they start school.”

Ready for Kindergarten Workshops

The Winter Event is a partnership with Right from the Start and Rochester Head Start, where families are engaging with early learning activities and connecting with community resources. Photo credit: Right from the Start

Right from the Start holds three free workshops each year in the winter, spring and fall. These are for parents and caregivers with children under the age of five and are broken into three age groups, ages one to three: ages three to four; ages four to five. Each workshop focuses on a different topic. In the winter they cover math and reasoning, in the spring they cover social and emotional development and in the fall its letters and literacy.  All classes are taught by teachers from the Rochester Primary School in English and Spanish.

In addition, each parent will receive a free early learning toy used in the workshop. The teachers give the parents the kindergarten curriculum helping them prepare their child as they head toward school.

Family Fun Events

Dr. Seuss family event, where families are engaging with early learning activities and connecting with community resources. The person dressed in Cat in the Hat outfit is a Rochester High School honor society student volunteer. (Gracie Engel) Photo credit: Right from the Start

Family fun events happen three times a year in partnership with other local organizations including Head Start, SafePlace, South Sound Reading Foundation, ROOF Community Resources and others. At these events, TOGETHER! provides followed by early learning activities. It’s a great way for children to learn and have fun while parents discover resources available through the partner organizations.

Free Child Care

The school district offers free child care for parents attending Centralia College’s English as a Second Language classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Right from the Start partnered with the district offering children in the day care early childhood education while parents study. “The children are learning social and emotional skills, like how to share,” adds Nancy.

All of these events help ready children for kindergarten in all facets of development. “Early childhood learning isn’t just about knowing colors or the alphabet,” Nancy says. “It’s also being able to succeed in school physically, socially and emotionally. To make sure they are ready for the challenges that come with a regular school day around other children and adults.”

She shares a story of one boy attending the free child care program. At first, he clung to his mom, crying and screaming. Within three weeks, he was loving it. “He doesn’t even say bye to his mom anymore,” Nancy says. “Now, he’s able to walk in and is comfortable in the environment. He has made friends. Social and emotional skills like that are so important as kids reach school age.”

Nancy spends a lot of her time out in the community, letting families know that Right from the Start is available as a resource. She answers questions, hands out early learning materials and connects them to other resources. “It’s important. Studies have found children that enter kindergarten behind, stay behind,” Nancy explains. “They are constantly trying to play catch up and they can’t.”

TOGETHER!’s Right from the Start program helps kids so they don’t have to play catch up. Instead, it sets them up for success for the rest of their lives.

To learn more, visit the TOGETHER! website or call them at 360-493-2230.

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