Dear Kidango Families, our distance learning program officially ended on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021 and all enrollments are for In-Person care. Our Hybrid learning playlists will continue for all age groups.
We know this is a challenging time and how important it is to continually support your child’s development and readiness for kindergarten.
As the largest childcare provider in the Bay Area, Kidango believes all children deserve safe, healthy, and nurturing environments to help prepare for their future, even if it’s in the virtual space.
While there is nothing like the in-person experience, our Kidango@Home program offers three flexible options: virtual, hybrid, and hands-on for you and your child.
Virtual
Live circle time conducted by classroom teachers via Zoom, weekly outreach by center staff, developmental milestones completion certificates to monitor progress, and more.
Hybrid
Includes a mixture of online links, and portable document formats that can be accessed at any time with a compatible device. We feature a series of repeated read alouds pre-recorded by our classroom teachers, activities via the Learning Genie app and/or email, developmental milestones completion certificates to monitor progress, and weekly outreach by center staff.
Hands-On
This is a great option if you and your child prefer a non-virtual learning environment. We provide monthly booklets with guidelines, suggested daily schedules, and recommended routines. You will also receive a calendar of activities consisting of a book reading and journaling for each weekday that differs by developmental domain and type to give some variety to each day.
Our flexible early education programs can prepare your children for kindergarten and a lifetime of learning. Each model is built to complement you and your child’s schedule.
K@H FAQs
Each family's information is inputted and updated on our central tracking system. An updated list of distance learners is accessed weekly to identify any newly enrolled families. Thislist is shared with center directors who provide additional information - distance learning preference: virtual, hybrid, or hands-on - as well as updated email and mailing addresses for families. K@H will take this information and send resources via email or mail. K@H is also communicating to center directors if the email correspondence was undeliverable. Sometimes, because of this process, there may be a week-long delay before families receive an email from K@H. To prevent delays, all distance learning resources are shared with center directors and enrollment specialists who can then share with the parents immediately.
Typically, with new enrollments, the enrollment specialist communicates with the center director who then reaches out to the families once they have the family's contact information.When K@H is made aware of a new enrollment via a list from our central tracking system, an email with the month’s Zoom meetings ID’s, link to the hybrid calendar, and hands-on PDF will be sent to the family. Afterwards, families will be contacted regularly by center staff and their Family Advocate if they are part of an Early/Head Start program.
Both and hopefully within a week of their child's start date.
K@H emails distance learning resources on a monthly basis.
Center staff perform weekly outreach to distance learning families. Also, all enrolled families with a valid email address will be invited to participate in the Learning Genie Parent App (similar to a Facebook feed) as an additional touchpoint.
The Kidango@Home backpacks, Learning Booklets, and website contain a schedule of activities categories by age level and developmental domain using the same curriculum criteria as in the classrooms. The learning booklets contain different learning activities that are meant to vary in academic subjects as well as build upon the knowledge gained in the previous booklet. Virtual offerings include a mixture of online links and portable document formats that can be accessed at any time with a compatible device. We feature a series of repeated read alouds pre-recorded by our classroom teachers that can be viewed one day at a time, Monday through Friday as if it were in the classroom; or at leisure via our Kidango YouTube channel. These read alouds are viewed and vetted using an integrity checklist to ensure quality of instruction. A second type of virtual offering is our live circle time conducted by classroom teachers via the Zoom platform, with several offerings a day, Monday through Friday. Per the CA Department of Education guidelines, preschool age distance learning efforts should not exceed 45 minutes, 30 minutes for toddlers, and 15 minutes for infants.
Currently, we do not. There are several factors as to why we do not. One being that the CA Department of Education (CDE) guidelines limit screen time for the age groups we serve. The device would only be of use, technically for 45 minutes or less per day. This is related to a second reason, many devices have been reserved for the elementary, middle, and high schools; where they will be used more. However, we do want to know what internet and device resources our Kidango families have as well as their needs. This information will be valuable information for potential funders.
Fill out our survey here.
Fill out our survey here.
However, if you have a valid email and access to the internet, you could potentially participate in a Zoom meeting, complete the hybrid playlist, and complete the daily activities on the hands-on booklets. This is meant to be flexible and complement your schedule. The curriculum for each distance learning option is meant to adhere to the recommended screen limit set by the CDE.
No, not at this time. The main guidance provided to us by the CDE is around content and provisions. If you are part of a head start program, there is an added component of attendance tracking and engagement.
No cost at this time. This changes monthly as the state continues to extend funds to childcare programs who provide a distance learning program that meets the management bulletin requirements.
The virtual teaching teams are kidango teachers not in the classrooms. There are several times offered and if you choose the same time, Monday - Friday, you will have the same teachers. Just like in the classroom, if the virtual teachers are not available on a certain day, we will have substitutes.
Yes, if there is space available. You will need to contact your center director and enrollment specialist when deciding to switch between distance learning and in-classroom care.
Because the social-emotional component is difficult in large groups like the virtual circle times, we have enlisted the help of our Early Mental Health Consultants in educating families on how the social emotional component can be addressed and practiced at home between adult and child. This is done through parent education events with special topics, like “Increase Communication with Your Child.” Our center directors, teaching staff, and family Advocates (FAs - in our Early/Head Start programs) will reach out to enrolled distance learning families regularly to have conversation, inquire about needs, and any other topics the families want to discuss.
If the teachers are open to giving you their email address, that is fine. The best contact would be kidangoathome@kidango.org so that the supervisor of the virtual teaching teams can see the questions and comments as well. They have weekly check-ins about how their meetings have gone for the week and prepare for the coming week. There is also the feedback form on the hands-on booklet that can be mailed in/dropped off at your home site.
Take our online survey here.
Take our online survey here.
We are working with our Parent Outreach and Advocacy teams to explore a “parent cafe” of sorts.
Kidango teachers have pre-recorded read alouds of books and are posted on the K@H webpage with a link to our youtube channel playlists. The rest of the activities on the hybrid playlists are a mixture of PDFs to view, and links to videos online. The virtual circle times are not recorded in order to comply with HIPAA security guidelines.
We adhere to the current CDE guideline mentioned previously related to maximum time allowed for distance learning efforts. We are aware of some screen time guidelines with the caveat that the recommendations can be waived if the screen time is of “high-quality content,” like our virtual circle times and read-alouds. This is why the curriculum is developed by Kidango educators. (Recommendation references are from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Note; this is a reference and does not necessarily reflect a formal Kidango philosophy or guideline)
Because of the age groups we serve, parent or adult involvement is necessary, just like in the classrooms. For the infant and toddler hybrid playlist and hands-on booklet, it will need to be facilitated by a parent and/or guardian. For the preschool distance learning options, the younger preschoolers will need adult support. The older preschoolers are able to learn the simple mute/unmute function and could be more independent.
The virtual circle time option is only available live and will not be recorded to share out in order to comply with HIPAA guidelines.
