How Kindergarten at NHA is Setting Students Up for Success

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindergarten may look like story time and snack breaks, but experts say it's one of the most critical stages in a child's academic and social development. National Heritage Academies'® (NHA) Curriculum Specialist Abbey Jennings shared how students benefit from a strong start to their educational careers.

"Kindergarten truly sets up the foundation for the entire school career of success," Jennings said. "They learn early reading skills, letters, writing, all of these foundational things, but they also learn how to be a good student, how to get along with others, how to exist in a group of kids different from you. There's just so many benefits to attending Kindergarten."

NHA's kindergarten curriculum places a strong emphasis on early math and literacy skills. Students learn fundamental concepts like counting, number recognition, addition, and subtraction, while also developing language fundamentals. Jennings said students internalize these skills, which will help down the line.

"Those basic skills really set kids up for success," Jennings said. "They can go into the upper grades and instead of struggling or working from behind, they've got the things they need to keep their academics and progress moving forward."

But it's not just academics that matter. Kindergarten students are also developing new social skills. For some, it's the first time they are around other children without their parents. They learn how to follow directions, get along with others, resolve conflicts and build relationships. Jennings said this is an important part of kindergarten.

"Kindergarten teachers are really good at helping kids develop those skills when the stakes are low," Jennings said. "When the conflict is sharing crayons, the stakes are pretty low, but they get to practice and build those skills as the stakes get higher."

The kindergarten curriculum at NHA schools is also empowering students to achieve with a hands-on approach to learning. Jennings says teachers engage students from day one which makes them excited to continue learning. 

"We're giving kids problems to explore and then have them develop strategies that teachers can then talk through," Jennings said. "When students can develop solutions in their own language, they have a chance to explore and work through things on their own. They really take ownership of that learning."

Students at NHA schools also benefit from a character-based Moral Focus curriculum that emphasizes values like respect, integrity, and compassion. Each month, kindergarteners learn a new virtue. Jennings said that these students may not understand the words at first, but by the end of the month they can use it in a sentence and know how to apply it to their daily lives.

Parents also play an important role in their kindergartener's success. Jennings says they can support learning by talking with their child about their day. Reading together is another great way to continue developing their skills. Parents can also help ease the transition into the school environment with a few simple strategies.

"Making sure your student can ask and answer questions is important," Jennings said. "It's important to make sure they know how to get sweaters on and off. Over the summer, it would be a really good time to work on those things. It's a big independence jump, and parents can really help prepare for that over the summer."

Practicing what the day will look like helps students know what to expect and can ease their anxiety. Jennings recommends driving to the school, showing students where they'll be dropped off and picked up, and going over a bedtime routine as easy ways to prepare for school before the first day.

With the right support, Jennings says, kindergarten becomes more than a first step, it becomes a launchpad for success.

About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies® (NHA) is a network of 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.

SOURCE National Heritage Academies