The Virtual Early Learning Highway for Young Children, a free, online resource available to assist families in helping their young children continue to learn while being at home due to COVID-19 launched on April 1, 2020.
This resource is the result of a collaborative partnership by the Florida Institute of Education at the University of North Florida, Early Learning Coalition of Duval, Alliance for Jacksonville Early Learning, and the Crawford Early Childhood Research and Education Distinguished Professor Fund.
Parents and teachers are being called on to develop ways to help children continue learning while being at home, yet children from birth to age five do not have the support infrastructure found in the K-12 sector. This limited infrastructure has placed an extraordinary burden on families as some do not have access to computers or tablets.
The Virtual Early Learning Highway for Young Children can be viewed by anyone, at any time, on any internet capable device or mobile phone – a technology platform that dramatically increases accessibility for more families and young children. Key purposes of the Virtual Early Learning Highway are to:
• Provide families with daily learning-focused activities that they can do with their 3- and 4-year old children Monday through Friday – designed to foster early literacy and learning
success by promoting a learning mindset at home.
• Help 3- and 4-year old children continued to feel connected and nurtured while a significant part of their routine has been disrupted.
The Virtual Early Learning Highway for Young Children can be accessed at www.unf.edu/fie/. Users can click on the “road markers” to access videos, routines and activities. Every week, families will have a unique daily plan that includes seven different road-marker activities to watch and complete with their children.