LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Summer vacation isn’t over yet, but some little Kentuckians are back in school to prepare for their first day of school as a kindergartner.

Kentucky’s largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, puts on a camp every summer called “Camp Ready4K.” It gets soon-to-be kindergartners ready for school by using structured play to teach them kindergarten readiness skills.

Taylor went back to school this week to JCPS’s Dawson Orman Early Childhood Center. Except, school isn’t officially in session until Aug. 10. Instead, the 5-year-old is a camper for two weeks at Camp Ready4K.

His Mom Natalie Buckley said he’s attended pre-school at Dawson Orman and this fall he’ll be a kindergartner. 

“He’s really enjoys coming back, so it’s easy to be excited when he’s excited to be here,” Buckley said.

The two-week program put on by JCPS uses a superhero-themed curriculum with small group instruction to teach kindergarten readiness skills.

Executive Director of Early Childhood Programs for JCPS, Rina Gratz, said the only requirement to be in the camp is that campers must start kindergarten at JCPS this school year.

“The kids that have been to a preschool setting, this just helps to cement that knowledge, to reinforce and cement that knowledge, make sure they retain it for kindergarten and beyond. And for the kids who have never been in a formal setting, this is their opportunity to learn what it’s like to be in school,” Gratz explained.

Some basics the kids will learn to prepare for kindergarten include learning the alphabet and numbers and even how to line-up and walk as a class together. Gratz said nearly 1,800 kids signed up for the camp this summer. 

One of the key parts of the program is teaching through structured play. 

“The research tells us that young children learn best through developmentally appropriate ways. Ways that are appropriate for them to learn, and the primary is through play-based learning, and they are engaged and excited and motivated to learn when we do it that way,” Gratz said.

Buckley is happy her son will have a head start as a soon-to-be kindergartner. 

“He does have some delays, so I think he needs some extra support as we get ready for kindergarten.”

If you have a child ready for kindergarten in Jefferson County, but they still aren’t enrolled, you can still sign them up before the first day of school on Aug. 10. The only prerequisite for entering kindergarten is that a child is 5-years-old by Aug. 1.

To register your child for JCPS kindergarten, click here.