Early Childhood Programs

Funded through DECAL's Bright from the Start and supported by the FCS Early Childhood Department, Fulton County Schools operates Georgia's Pre-Kindergarten Program in many of our elementary schools. This lottery-funded program provides high quality educational/instructional services to eligible four-year-old children through developmentally appropriate activities and learning experiences that help prepare young children to be "school ready". For a child to be "school ready", they are socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively prepared for success in kindergarten.

Operating on the FCS school calendar for the length of the school day, Pre-Kindergarten helps children become independent, self-confident, enthusiastic learners while encouraging children to develop good habits and daily routines. Teachers provide instruction through both teacher-directed and child-centered learning experiences. Child-centered instruction allows teachers to facilitate learning in a rich environment that fosters children's initiative, exploration, and collaborative interaction with other children and adults. To ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten, families are provided information and assistance in preparing for and gathering the documentation necessary for their child's enrollment in kindergarten.

The Pre-Kindergarten program is supported by the FCS Early Childhood Department which equips educators, families, and caregivers with high-quality early learning experiences to develop the emotional, social, and cognitive skills of all young children. This is accomplished by:

• Equipping educators to provide high-quality early learning instruction that is rooted in evidence-based best practices and aligned with the Georgia Early Learning Development Standards [GELDS].
• Employing professional learning rooted in high-quality early learning pedagogy and processes that meet the varied needs of adult learners.
• Providing parents/guardians with information, strategies, and resources that support the foundation of a home environment fostering the emotional, social, and cognitive skills of children preparing them for school.
• Creating collaborative partnerships within and outside Early Childhood to leverage expertise areas that best serve the children and their families.