I recently hosted a discussion group at my home on “Supplementing School.” The focus was on what types of resources or activities parents do at home to enrich their child’s schooling. A lot of great ideas came up that appeared so simple, yet completely relevant. The group of mothers that joined me all have children that are under 5 years old, so that discussion really focused on the preschool/pre-K levels. It seems that with this younger age group, a lot more creativity is needed on the parent’s part to provide them with natural and interesting learning experiences.

These are all things I do, but I’m homeschooling, so the “enrichment” I seek for my boys include a social aspect. Back in the spring, I enrolled my preschooler in a program called FasTracKids in Arcadia. I visited to just see what it’s like, but he ended up staying the whole class and enjoyed it so much, I knew this was a good “enrichment” experience for him.

The San Gabriel Valley is full of testing preparation and enrichment centers, but they focus mainly on the older school age child, and mostly in the areas of math and English. I previously taught for many years at the San Gabriel Valley Academy in Alhambra. These programs offer a number of afterschool programs to add that extra support for the student, especially in preparing them for those college entrance exams.

But, what makes FasTracKids unique? First of all, it is an international program focused on enrichment for kids ages 3-7. More importantly, there is a curriculum that includes subject areas such as literature, economics, creativity, communication, astronomy, as well as many others.

They utilize technology as part of the learning experience, and they also help encourage public speaking providing students with opportunities to answer comprehension questions about the material.

When children are young, it is important to expose them to a variety of subjects because they are beginning to discover what interests them.

My son’s learning has been enriched as he shares with me the stories they come up with in class, the space helmet he made, and the flip-book he put together. His communication skills have developed so much, and he’s almost 4 years old!

Again, there are many, many ways to enrich a young child’s learning, but the most important part is to share a love and excitement for learning no matter what the setting: home, school, or at an enrichment center. They have the whole world in front of them. Let them explore!

Priscilla Hervey is a stay-at-home mom of two boys (4 years & 18 months). She is homeschooling and loves it! You can e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .