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Early Childhood

A Strong Early Childhood Community in Wisconsin

All children deserve a quality childhood to ensure lifelong learners. This leads to healthy communities with productive members of society. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) works in partnership with the early childhood community, including parents and professionals, to create strong communities in which all families are supported in their roles and responsibilities.

 

Goals of the DPI Early Childhood Program

  • Keep the early childhood community informed about early childhood initiatives
  • Establish communications systems which allow thoughtful discussion among members of the early childhood community
  • Establish an internal communication system to model collaboration, networking, and public relations for DPI staff and teams

Wisconsin 4K 

Early childhood advocates consider the community approach (CA) the most logical, effective way to provide universal four-year-old kindergarten (4K). 4KCA relies on a comprehensive public-private partnership effort, sometimes called a “school-community interface.”

Click here for more information on 4KCA in Wisconsin 

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

In Wisconsin, children are eligible for kindergarten based on their age (not on their skills). Parents can best prepare their child to learn in school by providing frequent opportunities to play, talk, experiment and wonder in a relaxed and supportive environment. 

Click here for more information on how you can prepare your child for Kindergarten