During this webinar, one of a seven-part series focused on the Learning Loss Recovery Challenge, Johanna Edens Anderson of  the Belk Foundation moderated a conversation exploring a range of programs that are reaching children and families where they are. These programs are providing families with the resources to support their children’s learning and social-emotional development while many early learning programs, schools, libraries and community programs remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alejandro Gibes de Gac of Springboard Collaborative introduced a number of tools and resources that organization has developed to support children and families. The Family-Educator Learning Accelerator, delivered as either a 5- or 10-week program, brings parents and teachers together as a team while combining personalized reading instruction with weekly reading workshops and professional development for teachers. This model, which began with in-person meetings and is now being delivered virtually, has been shown to reverse summer learning loss and support 3-month gains in learning. Gibes de Gac explained how schools can use the Springboard Learning Accelerator as a starter kit to begin implementing this methodology. For families in schools that are not yet implementing this approach, Springboard Collaborative has developed Springboard Connect, a web-based, texting app that offers personalized reading tips and reminders and enables families to chart their child’s progress on the learning journey.

Dr. Benjamin York briefly shared some statistics on the potential impact of COVID closures and their disproportionate impact on low-income children and African-American children before introducing some resources offered by the ParentPowered Public Benefit Corporation. Ready4K is a whole child, birth through fourth grade family engagement curriculum delivered via thrice weekly text messages that provide parents with information about their child’s development, a tip for building developmentally appropriate skills and a suggestion for reinforcing that skill. Because it does not require access to the internet and is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic, this resource is accessible to the vast majority of parents and has been proven to be effective in a series of randomized control trials. York also shared Ready4K Trauma Informed, a special curriculum focused on strengthening families’ protective factors and connecting families to local resources.

Dr. Claudia Miner introduced Waterford UPSTART, an in-home kindergarten readiness program currently operating in 20 states. In the program, children receive 15–20 minutes of online instruction in reading, math and science, five days a week while parents work with a coach who helps them promote their child’s learning throughout the day. The program also addresses children’s social-emotional learning. UPSTART provides families with a computer and internet if they lack access and is available in 29 different languages. UPSTART also offers a Summer Learning Program in nine states delivering similar content in a more condensed timeframe to prepare children for success in kindergarten.

Sheetal Singh of Early Learning Lab offered her reflections on the presentations, celebrating the recent explosion of research-informed, high-quality technology products to support parent-child interactions. Like those featured in the webinar, many of these new products and approaches leverage behavioral science, embracing goal setting and addressing barriers. Many also utilize an ecosystem approach that includes strong partnerships with schools and community-based organizations. Singh shared some findings from Early Learning Lab’s NextGen Technology report that explored how parents of young children were using technology and its recent survey of parents during the COVID pandemic. Responding to the current needs, Early Learning Lab developed the Stay Play Grow app, which offers tips on how to support children’s learning at home and connects families with resources to meet their basic needs.