Academics

The Hudson Community 4K Priority Standards are based on the WI Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS). Click here to view the Hudson 4K Priority Standards for learning and skill development. 

According to WI Department of Public Instruction, the WMELS provide a framework for families, educators, and policymakers to:

• Share a common language and the responsibility for the wellbeing of children from birth to first grade.
• Know and understand development expectations of young children.
• Address what children should know and be able to do based on a continuum of development from birth to first grade.

The Learning Standards are based on current research and are developmentally appropriate practices. There are standards in each of the five developmental domains:

1. Health and Physical Development (e.g., fine-motor and gross-motor skills)
2. Social and Emotional Development (e.g., social skills and self-esteem)
3. Language Development and Communication (e.g., listening, speaking, and reading readiness)
4. Approaches to Learning (e.g., curiosity, persistence, and creativity)
5. Cognition and General Knowledge (e.g., mathematical and scientific thinking and problem solving)

The focus of the 4K program is to offer every child in our community equal access to a consistent, high quality preschool education. 4K will provide a developmentally appropriate program to help children acquire social competencies and the skills they need to succeed as a learner. The curriculum focuses on physical, cognitive, social/emotional, and language development in a nurturing environment. 4K early learning professionals provide:

• Active, creative, exploratory learning.
• Social interaction.
• Experiences to prepare the students for kindergarten.
• Opportunities for choice.
• Independence as well as small and large group activities.
• Activities that emphasize process, rather than product.
• Foundational skills to literacy and math development within an activity-based social environment.

No. 4K is an early learning opportunity. Participation is free to children who are residents of the Hudson School District. Typically, 4K programs offer a structured instructional program of 12.5 hours per week as determined by the School District. 4K is not wrap-around childcare. If a family needs childcare before or after 4K programming at a 4K site, they must pay the childcare center for this service.

Special Education Services are provided at all Hudson School District 4K sites, whether at a community partner site or within a Hudson School District elementary school. Early Childhood Special Education teachers work closely with classroom teachers to meet the needs of each student.

In addition to student learning time, 4K programs provide 87.5 hours of parent outreach. These hours are opportunities for parents to understand how they can further support their child’s learning at home. The outreach information is planned based on parent interest and need as well as the needs of the 4K site.

Open enrollment applies to four-year-old kindergarten, prekindergarten, early childhood education and school-operated day care only if the child’s resident school district offers the same type of program the child wishes to attend and only if the child is eligible for the program in his or her resident school district.

Hudson School District does not offer early entrance to 4K. Children enrolling must be 4 years of age on or before September 1st of the year they intend to enroll.