Closing Gaps with High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement

January 20th, 2026

All of the talk about the importance of early childhood education and family engagement for young learners may be paying off. Two recently published studies from the American Educational Research Association show that the school readiness and early childhood parental investment gaps are narrowing between economically-disadvantaged and affluent students.

In the first study, researchers looked at school readiness for high- and low-income students entering kindergarten. Academic achievement in Math and Reading were two of the areas measured. They found that the gap between the two groups students declined by 9.8% in Math and 16.3% in Reading from 1998 to 2010.

In the second study, researchers compared the early childhood experiences of high- and low-income kindergarten students in 1998 and 2010. What they found was that the high-, middle-, and low-income students in 2010 all showed an increase in home computer usage, an increase in the number of books at home and the likelihood of reading with their parents, and an increase in participation in enriching activities like singing, crafts, library visits, dance and sports; however, the increase was biggest for the low-income students.

One researcher believes there may be two reasons for the narrowing gaps:


  1. There is better access to high-quality preschool programs for low-income families. Thanks to increasing support from politicians, education leaders and communities, the word has been spreading about the importance of high-quality early childhood education and preschool programs. Head Start and other programs helping low-income students receive quality early education have seen a boost in government funding. Commitment from the US President with the Every Student Succeeds Act and Preschool for All Initiative has helped build awareness, focus priorities on early education, and expand access to the young learners who need it most.
  2. More families are becoming involved in the learning of their young students. Education and early literacy advocates have been working hard to reach parents and caregivers to explain the critical role they play in their child’s educational success. By investing more in enriching activities with their children and with increased beliefs about the skills needed to prepare their young learners for school, more parents and families are getting involved.

School districts and early childhood programs all over the country are using supplemental programs like GrapeSEED to enhance the quality of the education they are providing and to get families involved. GrapeSEED is being used in preschool, Head Start, Great Start Readiness Program classrooms and in other early childhood education classrooms to give students a solid foundation in oral language and critical listening as they prepare for kindergarten and learning to read. The Shared Reading Big Books, Poems, Chants, Songs, and Action Activities, along with student take-home materials, provide many opportunities for dancing and movement, oral language and reading practice, teacher-student interactions and parent involvement.

Much more needs to be done to shrink and eliminate these gaps in school readiness and family involvement. Additional funding is needed to improve the quality of early childhood education programs and preschools and to make these programs accessible to all students. Schools, educators and communities must continue to find ways to get parents and families involved,  including the families of English Language Learners. Parents should be encouraged to promote literacy development in their children through shared reading, singing, positive feedback, and modeling, for example. Trips to the library, zoo and museum can also provide language-rich experiences as well as much-needed family time.

New Year, Clearer Path: Decluttering for Stronger Language Learning

January 20, 2026
January is the season of decluttering, but in schools, it’s about clearing space for what truly matters! This month’s blog explores how thoughtful organization supports multilingual learners and why strong language systems are worth keeping. A little clarity now can create momentum that lasts all year… and beyond!

Midyear Glow-Up: Refreshing Routines in Your Classroom!

December 11, 2025
The new year is a perfect time for reflection and renewal—not just for us, but for our students, too. After a long winter break, January offers a natural opportunity to revisit and reinforce classroom routines and procedures, especially in multilingual classrooms where clarity and consistency are key to helping all students feel secure and successful. For multilingual learners, routines are more than just classroom management—they provide language-rich structures that support understanding, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence. Whether students are newcomers or have been learning English for years, a clear and predictable environment helps them focus on learning rather than guessing what’s expected. Start the month by gently reviewing procedures: entering the classroom, transitioning between activities, participating in group work, asking for help, and using classroom materials. Model each step and invite students to demonstrate, using visuals, gestures, and multilingual supports when possible. Pair verbal directions with pictures or sentence stems to help students connect words with actions. This not only aids comprehension, it builds community and shared responsibility. Remember, reviewing routines isn’t about enforcing rules—it’s about resetting the tone for a peaceful, productive, and joyful classroom. Make space for students to share what helps them learn best and celebrate the positive habits they already bring with them. By investing time in January to revisit expectations with warmth and intention, you're setting the stage for a second half of the school year filled with growth, laughter, and learning—for every student, in every language.

Meet AI, Your New Teaching Assistant!

December 2, 2025
In today’s classrooms, elementary school teachers juggle countless responsibilities—planning engaging lessons, managing behavior, communicating with families, and differentiating instruction for every learner. Fortunately, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening up a world of support tools that can help educators reclaim valuable time while still meeting the diverse needs of their students. Lesson Planning, Simplified AI tools and other educator-focused platforms can generate customized, standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes. Whether you're teaching reading comprehension, performing science experiments, or developing math centers, AI can help you brainstorm activities, create differentiated tasks, and suggest formative assessments—all tailored to your students’ grade level and learning goals. Behavior Intervention Plans Made Easier Creating thoughtful, individualized behavior intervention plans (BIPs) often requires collaboration and time that’s hard to find. With the right prompts, AI can assist by generating plan templates, suggesting positive reinforcement strategies, and even helping you write goal-specific language that’s clear and professional. This allows for quicker implementation and better support for student growth. Boosting Communication with Families Need to send home a weekly newsletter, a classroom update, or a quick note in family-friendly language? AI can help you write clear, respectful, and engaging messages in seconds—and even translate them into multiple languages. This promotes stronger school-home connections without adding to your workload. More Than Just Words AI isn’t just about writing. It can generate visual aids, adapt texts for different reading levels, offer creative ideas for classroom themes, or even draft rubrics and anchor charts. When used responsibly, AI becomes a teaching assistant in your pocket—offering fresh ideas and saving you time. A Word of Caution—and Empowerment AI isn’t a magic wand, and it doesn’t replace the care, creativity, and wisdom that teachers bring to the classroom. But when used thoughtfully, it can remove some of the mental load and help you focus on what matters most: building relationships, inspiring learners, and making a lasting impact. AI can be a game-changing tool for educators—not by replacing the human touch, but by enhancing it. With the right approach, you can use AI to create, communicate, and collaborate more efficiently—without sacrificing quality. Just as AI can support teachers in the classroom, GrapeSEED does the same. From intentionally designed lesson plans to materials at your fingertips, to a results driven, joy filled curriculum for your language learner students, GrapeSEED has it all. Click here to learn more !

Finding Balance in a Too-Much-to-Teach World

November 3, 2025
If you’ve ever looked at your lesson plans and thought, “There’s no way I can fit all this in,” you’re not alone. Teachers today face an ever-growing list of standards, assessments, and initiatives, all while striving to create joyful, meaningful learning experiences for young children. The struggle is real! So how can we honor curriculum expectations without overwhelming ourselves or our students? Read on for ideas and strategies! Start with What Matters Most Not everything carries equal weight. Identify the skills and concepts your students truly need to succeed, both academically and developmentally. Prioritize depth over breadth when possible. A well-understood concept is more valuable than one that’s been rushed and checked off a list. Integrate Across Subject Areas Look for ways to blend content. A science lesson can include reading comprehension. A writing activity can connect to social studies. Integration allows for richer, more efficient learning and saves time while deepening student understanding. Protect Time for Play, Talk, and Joy Children learn best when they are engaged and emotionally connected to content. Carve out time for class discussions, movement, and creative exploration. These “non-academic” moments often bring about the deepest learning and are critical for social-emotional development. Be Realistic, Not Perfect It’s okay if not every lesson goes as planned or every objective is met on the first try. Focus on consistent growth, not perfection. Trust your professional judgment. After all, you know your students best. Support One Another Collaboration is key. Talk with teammates about what’s working, what can be scaled back, and how to share the load. A balanced curriculum starts with a balanced teacher, and that balance often comes from working together. Remember, you aren’t just covering content, you’re helping to shape children’s lives. When we prioritize purposeful, joyful learning over packing it all in, we give students (and ourselves) what truly matters most.. To learn how GrapeSEED English for Children saves teachers time so that they can focus on what is important, click here today!
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