Waterford UPSTART provides 4-year-old children access to the highest form of academic support in their early education at no cost to participating students or families. Their kindergarten readiness platform is accessible from any web-enabled device and is designed to engage parents of these children as much as the child to ensure the best possible academic outcomes, specifically for those that are most at risk. They provide Internet access and devices should families need them for their child to access the curriculum, providing a fun and engaging experience for children to play, sing along, and acquire the needed skills to enter kindergarten academically ready. Children are asked to utilize the program 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Additionally, Waterford UPSTART invests in the entire family, as they believe that the parent is truly a child’s first teacher. Through phone calls, emails, and text messages, their team works with parents to understand what their child is learning, as well as how they can best support and extend that learning and ensure that their child stays on track.

Format/platforms used:

The curriculum is web-based. Children, parents, and educators can access Waterford UPSTART through their computer, tablet, or phone.

Primary website’s URL:

https://www.waterfordupstart.org/

Problem solved:

Waterford UPSTART addresses the access and equity gap in early education. Nearly half of our country’s 4-year-olds face barriers keeping them from getting a high-quality pre-K experience. These barriers include cost to families, the lack of any high-quality early education options, the lack of funding district administrators need to provide options to every child in their community, and more.

Waterford UPSTART is designed to provide these education leaders and families with an option when there are not any. On average, a child that completes Waterford UPSTART will enter kindergarten at nearly a 1^st-grade reading level and will maintain those gains for years to come.

Age ranges:

Their solution was designed for children to use the year prior to entering kindergarten, primarily 4-year-old learners.

Core needs:

Waterford UPSTART addresses core needs in literacy and math for children the year prior to entering kindergarten.

Standards:

Our solution is aligned to the early learning standards in all 50 states. More information on the correlations is here.

Lesson time needed:

Children are asked to dedicate 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week to UPSTART. Additionally, they support their parents to extend that learning beyond those 15 minutes per day.

Pricing model(s):

Waterford UPSTART is completely free to the children and families that use it. Additionally, they provide a computer and an Internet connection if they are needed at no cost. Their solution is funded through philanthropic support as well as through state and local funding sources.

Additional services:

Waterford UPSTART believe that parents are every child’s first teacher and it is their responsibility to support the parents of every learner currently using Waterford UPSTART. As such, they provide parent trainings to ensure they know how to use the program and the devices they are getting. They also provide ongoing support during the year through phone calls, email, and text messages.

What makes Waterford UPSTART unique?

Waterford UPSTART is unique in that it goes into the home of the child, overcoming barriers that other programs cannot. It also offers personalized support through Family Education Liaisons to ensure usage fidelity and success through coaching and empowering parents as their child’s first educator. Finally, it’s provided at no cost to participating families to ensure the most at-risk children have access to quality early education regardless of where they live or what their socioeconomic status is.

Characteristics:

Waterford UPSTART was designed especially for young minds, with animated activities, fun characters, and catchy songs to engage and encourage children. If a child is struggling to grasp a concept with one activity, the adaptive program delivers a different activity to teach that skill to avoid frustration and discouragement. The computer-learning portion is only 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week to match children’s attention span, and they provide off-line supplemental activities parents can do with their child to reinforce concepts taught in the program, teach social emotional skills, and encourage learning at home.

Here's what users are saying:

“I think I’ve struck gold here because I’ve been able to find this program. They are going to work with us, partner with us and the big goal here is to make sure that every 4-year-old in our community has the opportunity to learn what they need to learn before they come to kindergarten.”

--Michael S. Kuhrt, Superintendent of Schools Wichita Falls ISD:

“Our focus has shifted to research-based programs at all levels. Since making this shift 8 years ago, our need for intervention at the higher grades has diminished to almost nothing. Waterford [UPSTART] has played a significant role in the early years.”

--Irene White, Director of Special Education and Student Services, Laguna Beach School District:

 “Last year I saw my students really soar in their reading growth and enjoyment of their newfound abilities as they read books in class and at home. I have to credit Waterford [UPSTART] with being an important component in this achievement.”

--Martha Lamb, 1^st Grade Teacher, Grand County School District: