Crockett Co. Head Start now registering students for 2019-2020 school year

ALAMO, Tenn. — The Head Start program started in 1965 with the goal of getting children ready for school.

“It was implemented to make sure that children of low economic status had the same start as their peers when they began school,” said Tona Emerson, coordinator of Crockett County’s Head Start program.

The program is open to children 3 and 4 years old.

The program is made to help students develop skills they need to start school.

“We make sure that they have a curriculum,” Emerson said. “We use Teaching Strategies Gold curriculum. They also have health, we build their health, build good mental health. We look at behavior. We try to assist parents if the child has a disability.”

While Head Start has a curriculum to prepare kids for kindergarten, they also believe that the kids learn best through play.

“We have centers set up in the classrooms that the children go to, and they have dramatic play experiences. They have sand and water. They have art. They have fine motor skill activities, as well as gross motor activities,” Emerson said.

Parents registering their children for the upcoming school year will need their child’s birth certificate, immunization records, insurance coverage documents, four check stubs from employed parents, three emergency contact names, addresses and phone numbers, and any information parents have on known disabilities their child may have.

If you miss registration this week, you can still apply later.

To apply for Head Start, call 731-696-3217.