The YMCA’s Early Learning Readiness Program (ELR) helps to prepare your child for Pre-K and continued learning.
ELR is a non-traditional Early Learning program that provides a stimulating environment for Latino caregivers and their children to play and learn while developing the physical, verbal, and social skills they’ll need to successfully begin school. The goal of ELR is to help provide caregivers and their children Early Learning preparation including the cognitive, physical, and social skills they need to be school-ready and extend the learning at home.
About the Program
About the Program
ELR brings the preschool experience to local churches and community centers, providing a high-quality early learning experience directly to the children in predominantly Hispanic communities of Atlanta. Caregivers engage with their children in a dual-language learning environment that promotes active learning through play. Y staff model positive adult-child interactions with activities tied to the Georgia Early Learning Standards. Thanks to funders including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and The UPS Foundation, ELR is free of cost to all participants.
The Need
The Need
There are only 2,000 days between the time a baby is born and when he or she will begin kindergarten. During that time brain architecture is forming, creating either a strong or weak foundation for all future learning. Child development is a dynamic, interactive process that is not predetermined.
86% of caregivers in the program indicated their children had no prior early learning program to prepare them for school besides the Y’s mobile ELR program.
The Impact
The Impact
ELR participants consistently demonstrate gains in school readiness in terms of social and emotional development. Graduates of the program are better equipped to self-regulate, communicate, adapt behaviors and interact with peers and teachers—skills that ensure children enter kindergarten ready to learn.
99% of caregivers reported that they better understand their role in helping children in their care develop the skills and knowledge they need to be prepared for kindergarten.
To register or obtain additional information please call 678-728-1844 or email us at elreducation@ymcaatlanta.org. For other information please contact Yeni Garcia-Villegas at YeniG@ymcatlanta.org or call (404) 276-8106.
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How it Works
The YMCA Early Learning Readiness
Program (ELR) is a mobile, nontraditional program facilitated by bilingual staff. Facilitators utilize learning stations specially designed to connect activities with the Georgia Early Learning Development Standards (GELDS), ensuring children start kindergarten with the pre-literacy and numeracy skills needed to be successful in school.
Caregivers and children learn by playing in a very friendly and relaxed environment. While having fun, children increase their vocabulary in their primary language. In addition, children develop cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills through intentional interactions with their caregivers.
The program ELR offers healthy snacks, embraces cultural traditions, and promotes healthy habits.
About the Program
The YMCA Early Learning Readiness Program (ELR) is an innovative, evidence-based program in Spanish that serves caregivers (parents, family members, and friends), and the children under their care ages 0-5.
The ELR program provides a stimulating experience through learning stations that foster development and improve school readiness among children, while supporting and developing the skills and confidence of caregivers.
It reaches out to Hispanic caregivers. However, it is open to any caregiver with children of the target age. The program requires registration and follows the calendar of the local school.
The ELR program is free for all families.
Locations
There are ten locations in Metro Atlanta that operate twice a week from 10:00 am–12:00 pm.
MON + WED
First Christian Church of Lawrenceville (Gwinnett County)
3495 Sugarloaf Pkwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
TUES + THURS
J.M. Tull Gwinnett Family YMCA (Gwinnett County)
2985 Sugarloaf Pkwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
The Salvation Army Atlanta International Corps (Dekalb County)
3771 Central Avenue
Doraville, GA 303004
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Gwinnett County)
2140 Beaver Ruin Rd.
Norcross, GA 30071
The Salvation Army Marietta Corps (Cobb County)
202 Waterman St SE
Marietta, GA 30060
MON + FRI
Doraville Civic Center (Dekalb County)
3770 Central Ave.
Doraville, GA 30340
Ser Familia (Cobb County)
1600 Roswell St. SE
Suite 4
Smyrna, GA 30080
WED + FRI
First Christian Church of Mableton (Cobb County)
878 Old Alabama Rd SW
Mableton, GA 30126
Our Lady of the Americas Catholic Church (Gwinnett County)
4603 Lawrenceville Hwy.
Lilburn, GA 30047
The Latin American Association (Dekalb County)
2750 Buford Hwy
Atlanta, GA 30324
Objectives
• Provide young children from vulnerable and low-income communities with developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive learning experiences.
• Instill in the children the love of and quest for lifelong learning.
• Strengthen families; nurture the bond between caregiver and child; build connections, friendships and a circle of mutual support among people who care for children
• Provide caregivers with information, resources, support and connections to promote optimal development of the children in their care.
• Increase caregiver understanding of the critical role they play in the development and school success of the children in their care.