FAQs

• Prekindergarten is a full-day program for most locations throughout DoDEA. (UPK implementation phases.) All children who are four years old by September 1 of the enrolling school year are eligible to attend.
• The Sure Start program is located in Ansbach, Ramstein, and Wiesbaden. Sure Start is a full-day prekindergarten program for a targeted population with an application and selection process based on specific criteria. 
• Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD) is a continuum of services for children beginning at age three with identified disabilities and requires an individually designed instructional program to meet their unique learning needs.

DoDEA believes in a balanced approach to early learning instruction that includes child-directed and teacher-directed learning experiences. In the learning environment, children experience learning wherein educators explicitly plan for academic learning through play. Children are learning content in an environment that is developmentally appropriate, engaging, and responsive. This is purposeful play or teacher-guided play with learning objectives that allow for children to explore and investigate with educator guidance. Children’s learning experiences allow them to fully engage with content (math, literacy, science, social studies, and the arts) as required by the College and Career Ready Standards for Preschool.

Imagine a class store in the dramatic play area. As the sales clerk, children write out receipts and create bills for shoppers. As a customer, a child may make a shopping list, sort foods, or count and analyze to see if they can use the express checkout lane. The shopper and clerk will probably exchange money during the purchase. The play situations replicate real life and the learning is meaningful. Children practice listening, speaking, thinking, problem solving, and more during play.

Many parents are eager to learn what their children need to know before going to kindergarten. To help your child successfully transition to kindergarten, you should help your child become independent, develop self-help skills and responsibility, and learn to follow routines. Reading aloud to your child each day and engaging in meaningful math and literacy activities will help with preparation for the content that will be presented in kindergarten. Finally, acknowledge your child’s feelings about the transition to kindergarten and help ease any anxieties. You can learn some tips to help you prepare your child for kindergarten with the following article.

NAEYC for Families: Ready or Not, Kindergarten, Here We Come!