Daycare children test science program

ome young children in daycare programs will begin exploring the world around them through a science-based curriculum that may give them a boost at later school success, thanks to recent grants totaling $140,000 supporting the work of Lucia French, associate professor at the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

The grants from the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation, the Rochester's Child Fund of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, and the Warner School will support a pilot program for about 30 family home providers in Rochester and the children in their care to see how the youngsters can benefit from well-designed educational activities.

Materials and training are being developed, field-tested, and evaluated to document the effectiveness of the program called "Partners in Caring: Directing Community Resources to Family Day Care Providers and the Families They Serve."

The new initiative is the latest in French's work on a science-centered curriculum for young children. Last year, she received a $500,000 national grant to expand the use of her preschool curriculum ScienceStart! in area preschools and to test its success as a potential model for use around the country.

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