Jumpstart for Young Children

The Jumpstart Solution 

Jumpstart’s research-based, cost-effective program trains college students and community volunteers to serve preschool-age children in low-income neighborhoods. Through our proven curriculum, these children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for school, setting them on the path for lifelong success.

How Jumpstart Works

Jumpstart sessions take place two days per week, for two hours each time. Each session revolves around a core storybook and one book serves as the focus for two sessions. Session plans are organized in six unit themes -- Family, Friends, Wind and Water, The World of Color, Shadows and Reflections, Things That Grow -- and use the following routine:

Welcome. Children transition to Jumpstart from their previous activity. Children build alphabet knowledge through exploration of name cards and over time develop an understanding of the meaning and use of print.

Reading. Children and Corps members engage in a shared reading experience.

Circle Time. Children participate by singing songs, playing word and letter games, and reading poems. The whole-group learning experience builds a sense of community among children and adults.

Center Time. Centers are set up with materials and activities that support children’s language and literacy skill development. Activities are selected by the unit theme and core storybook, deepening children’s understanding of the book and providing opportunities to use story vocabulary.

Let’s Find Out About It. A small group activity designed to build children’s concept knowledge and vocabulary. Here, children have the opportunity to explore new ideas and information, learn about objects and their use, and understand how things work. 

Sharing and Goodbye. Children talk and listen to others share their favorite session activities in a large group setting. Corps members use objects or examples of children’s work from Center Time and rich vocabulary to support the conversation.

 Results

·     1 million + hours of service to preschool children in low-income communities.

·     2 million + readers globally through Jumpstart's Read for the Record®

·     {C}Impacted 50,000 preschool children across the country with support in language, literacy skills, and social-emotional competencies

·     {C}97% of Corps members report overall satisfaction with the program