Programs & Services

Both locations offer a Spanish Dual Language Program. All teachers are provided support for practicing instruction in Spanish or other heritage languages — more than half of our staff speaks another language other than English.

Dual language is considered an enrichment, or additive, model building on a student’s home language, with content being taught in both languages.

The Heritage Head Start vision includes; a high-quality, research based dual language program with instructional model that provides 50% of instruction in English and 50% instruction in two more languages: Somali, and Arabic in the future. The goal is to enhance children’s heritage, culture and past experience to get successfully and confidently school-ready. 

Math
Math is embedded throughout the curriculum at Heritage Head Start.  We partner with Zeno math to provide opportunities for children and families to engage in math at home.  Children learn the core competencies of math: counting and patterning, and solving math problems, in a series of fun educational games that boost confidence in math and reinforce critical math skills.  Heritage focuses on math games rooted in culture.  We collaborate with parents and staff to teach the same math games we played as children to infuse math learning through play into the curriculum.

Music
Music is built into transitions and instructional support in the classroom, we share songs in many languages. Music is sung to teach, give directions, and to learn new vocabulary. Music is used as a tool and a way that children can freely express themselves. Music gives children an opportunity to learn a whole song in another language. Songs teach about heritage and family. Music puts songs on the map at heritage. It gives children a global perspective while learning about the world through song.

Reading
Books are celebrated and shared throughout the school year, fiction and nonfiction books are used for research and pleasure.  At Heritage we make books with the children.  Children practice retelling stories, doing this also with their own homemade books.   Stories are chosen based on the cultures of the children in the classroom, based on their interests, and the theme that the classroom is exploring.  Reading is shared at Heritage; we share books sent home in a lending library.  We also share a partnership with Page Ahead where volunteers come and read weekly to the children. Parents also come and read books in their own language to children. 

Gardening
Heritage brings the indoors outside and the outdoors inside.  Children and teachers work on planting seeds inside the classroom, learning about plant life cycles, and caring for plants indoors in preparation for moving plants outside and/or sending them home. The multicultural gardens outdoors teach children the importance of ecological systems (outdoor environments), sustainability, food sources, and cooking from the garden to the table.  

Oral Storytelling
We have a rich history of oral storytelling at Heritage Head Start. Teachers, parents, family members, and children share in storytelling in the classroom. One place this happens is during circle time. Some storytellers use props or visuals as part of their presentations. Oral storytelling brings to life at Heritage  stories of the past and present, stories of history and heritage.