Inspiration
The United States is in the bottom quartile of formally enrolled preschoolers in the developed countries and as a result local kindergarten readiness rates are very low. Parents and caregivers can be told to read to their children but with the demands on their time and rigor of common core are not sure what the elements of reading instruction look like. Not every student receives an equitable preschool experience and as a result, kindergarten classrooms contain a wide range of learners. One way to offset the transition time would be to transform enrollment procedures with low cost tech interventions. How schools utilize the data contained on kindergarten enrollment registrations in the spring could help level the playing field for at risk students.
What it does
Technology is at the core of almost every aspect of our lives both personally and professionally and data collected from the PEW Research Center on America's smartphone habits reveal that 9-in-10 Americans are now online with 77% owning smartphones. Our education systems should also involve school-to-family technology interventions in order to increase student achievement in ways that are mutually beneficial for schools, students, and caregivers. Thekground will provide schools a low cost alternative to execute a program to assist caregivers with reading over the summer months while not infringing on their time.
Caregivers will be asked to provide their cell phone numbers in order to receive text notifications and or push notifications through an application. The push notifications, over the course of 12 weeks will contain explicit tips and link to a website with videos and lessons from kindergarten teachers.
How I built it
Created a web site with a landing page. Create video lessons. Teamed up with William who is an IOS developer for the app development.
Challenges I ran into
Turning ideas into reality. Matching design needs with person who has the skills to implement. Where to find local tech talent.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
Being able to help disadvantaged families / non English speakers give their children the same literature experiences that more affluent peers have.
What I learned
Idea to conception doesn't happen overnight.
What's next for The k Ground
Refine video lessons and push notifications. Being able to gauge the level of students and assign them to buckets of when to start the 12 weeks.
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