Head Start
What is Head Start?
We are currently accepting applications for the SEPTEMBER - JUNE SCHOOL YEAR. We accept applications YEAR-ROUND!
Why choose Head Start?
Head Start provides free early childhood education and comprehensive family support services for eligible children and families. Through learning, health, nutrition, and family engagement, children build the skills they need for kindergarten and beyond.
Why Families Choose Head Start✅ Free preschool for eligible families✅ School readiness✅ Health & developmental screenings✅ Family support services✅ Nutritious meals
Education
Our educational program is designed specifically for pre-kindergarten aged children. We follow the best practices in the field of early childhood education because your child deserves nothing less than the best.
Research tells us that young children learn best by doing. True learning is not just an ability to repeat the words of someone else, but requires active thinking, engaging and experimenting to find out just how things work, and learning first-hand about the world around us. At WHSCDA, Inc., we create that environment for your child to stimulate his or her curiosity and learning. By environment, we mean materials and activities as well as the interactions with others. All of this happens in the context of play, because play provides the foundation for children's academic or school learning. It is through play that children will achieve their educational goals. Play is the work of young children. Our goal is to help children become independent, self confident, inquisitive learners. We encourage them to be active and creative explorers of their environment who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. We allow them to learn at their own pace and in ways that are best for them. We help them develop good habits and attitudes, particularly a positive sense of self, which is so important for success in school and in life.
Our curriculum, The Creative Curriculum®, is aligned with the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards. These Standards, issued by the Rhode Island Department of Education, are the goals and expectations of what pre-kindergarten children should know and be able to do.
Research tells us that young children learn best by doing. True learning is not just an ability to repeat the words of someone else, but requires active thinking, engaging and experimenting to find out just how things work, and learning first-hand about the world around us. At WHSCDA, Inc., we create that environment for your child to stimulate his or her curiosity and learning. By environment, we mean materials and activities as well as the interactions with others. All of this happens in the context of play, because play provides the foundation for children's academic or school learning. It is through play that children will achieve their educational goals. Play is the work of young children. Our goal is to help children become independent, self confident, inquisitive learners. We encourage them to be active and creative explorers of their environment who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. We allow them to learn at their own pace and in ways that are best for them. We help them develop good habits and attitudes, particularly a positive sense of self, which is so important for success in school and in life.
Our curriculum, The Creative Curriculum®, is aligned with the Rhode Island Early Learning Standards. These Standards, issued by the Rhode Island Department of Education, are the goals and expectations of what pre-kindergarten children should know and be able to do.
In our classrooms, play is more than fun—it's how children learn. Through hands-on experiences and guided exploration, children build skills across eight key areas of learning:
Language Development
Children build communication skills by listening, speaking, asking questions, expressing their thoughts and feelings, and growing their vocabulary.
Literacy
Children develop early readin and writing skills by exploring books, recognizing letters and sounds, learning print concepts, and practicing early writing.
Mathematics
Children learn about numbers, counting, shapes, patterns, measuring, and solving problems through hands-on activities.
Science
Children explore the world around them by asking questions, making observations, experimenting, and discovering how things work.
Creative Arts
Children express themselves through art, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative activities.
Social & Emotional Development
Children learn to build friendships, cooperate with others, manage their emotions, develop confidence, and understand their families and communities
Approaches to Learning
Children develop curiousity, independence, persistence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for lifelong learning
Physical Health & Development
Children strengthen their fine and gross motor skills while learning healthy habits that support their overall well-being.