It’s finally the year where I can put Rockwell into this program! I’ve been waiting forever to do it because so many of you have said this program is AMAZING!
For those of you who don’t know, it’s time to enroll your preschool aged kids in the Utah UPSTART at-home preschool program. If your child is going to go to preschool for the 2016-2017 school year, now is the time to hurry and pre- register over here. I would move quickly because they always run out of spots!
The best part about UPSTART is that it works! Most four-year-olds who use it start school at the advanced kindergarten level by using the Waterford Institute’s award-winning adaptive early learning software. Each child is given unique lessons based on their skill level and learning style. So kids can use it on their own and spend only 15 minutes per day getting ready for Kindergarten.
To see if your family qualifies, make sure to fill out the pre-registration information now now! And if you have used UPSTART for your own kids, please comment and let other families know what you thought.
Here’s a little more info, if you need it:
UPSTART uses Waterford Institute’s award-winning, cloud-based adaptive learning curriculum to provide individualized lessons in early literacy, math and science with a focus on reading. It is funded by the state and free for participating families. Free Internet and computers are also provided for families who qualify. After using UPSTART just 15 minutes a day, 5 days per week, children, on average, enter kindergarten at a kindergarten advanced level. External evaluators have also found that children using UPSTART have 2-3 times higher learning rates than those who don’t use the program.
Chantelle
I filled out the form a couple of weeks ago and they called me last week to get me signed up. After a twenty minute interview, they asked my income and my education level. After I gave them the two pieces of information, I got wait-listed. I’m assuming my education level is too high or our annual income is too much. I wish I would have known that before wasting my time. Does anyone know what the qualifiers are?
Chelsea
They wait listed my sister in law, but then she got in a week before the program started. They will fill all financial needy spots first, then fill in as available. I got right in, but my kids have been on the wait list since they were one. You can go ahead and preregister all your young kids as soon as they are born. My kid spanked the kindergarten test a few weeks ago. Much more prepared than my oldest was because I didn’t know about this program.
Lynsi
I called and registered my son 1-2 months ago and was waitlisted as well. I’m really hoping I get it. I wish they wouldn’t limit it when so many people want to do it.
Nikki
This program is funded by the state of Utah (why it’s free), so they can only allow as many participants as they have funding for. If you want more spots available, bug your legislators! They actually opened up (meaning they got funding for) LOTS more spots for this current school year. Each school district also has a quota of spots, so if you live in a district in which the program is popular, it can fill up fast!
Vanessa
They don’t want to limit it. They only have funding for so many spots and try really hard to get everyone in. If you have time you can write an email to the governer and tell them how much the program is needed and wanted! It makes a big difference:) and hopefully they will be able to continue for a long time and receive the funding they need because upstart really is amazing!
Rachelle
I got waitlisted and never got in. Apparently we make too much money for our area. They take it by area and we live in a high usage low income area. I signed my other two kids up years in advance. We will see if we get in. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a family that has both parents working.
Krystal
We’ve used it for both our boys. It is great. Really prepared them for Kindergarten. And best part, its free. I don’t know how it works as far as getting wait-listed, but I think a large factor is when you pre-register. I pre-registered both boys at least 2 years before, and my other little guy, I pre-registered when he was born.
Shannon
My husband and I both have college degrees and make good money and my daughter still got in. I think it’s because we pre-registered her a couple years ago. She is loving the program and learning to read! I hate teaching my kids to read (I know that sounds awful, but it’s so frustrating!). I have already pre-registered my son who still has two years to go until Kinder. It’s a great program! Even if you think your kids are too little to bother just pre-register them so you have the option when the time comes!
Joey
I had a son who did this last year and because he was doing it I could add my daughter last year and she is officially doing it this year. She can read at Kindergarten level already and is in first grade material on the program. It is amazing! The reason they can’t let everyone do it just because everyone wants to is because it is a grant based program that is free to you. They only have so much money to make it run. PS Govener Herbert just vetoed a bill a couple weeks ago to give them more funding.
Ashley Black
This program has been AMAZING. We were waitlisted and then accepted in June of last year. My son is reading and spelling words already and learning a ton everyday. Don’t give up hope if you’re waitlisted. They add more spots every year. 🙂
Lynsi
Do you think we have a chance if we registered my son at the beginning of February and he would be on the program this year? He will go to kinder fall of 2017. I’m really stressing out about it!
Chelsea
They won’t let you know if you are in the program or not until a month or two before it starts – so you won’t hear til summer of 2017.
Shauna
GREAT PROGRAM!!!!
Jen
Ive heard that registration acceptance is first come first served…. My son did it 3 years ago and I signed him up when he was 1 and signed my daughter up when she was born (4 years ago). Origionally my son was not accepted for the program however, my nephew was accepted even though his parents signed up months after I did. I thought it was forst come first serve. When I was denied I called and asked why. They said it was based on school district they will be going into and demographics etc. I complained and they put my son on a wait list. He was accepted less than 24 hours later. My daughter was accepted this year but like I said she has been signed up aince birth and we were previous users with good usage history (they like that)
Heidi
This is a great program! My son will be better prepared for Kindergarten this Fall because of it.
On March 31, I received an email from UPSTART stating that Governor Herbert vetoed the legislative-endorsed bill to expand the UPSTART program for an additional 2,300 Utah families. His decision was based on misinformation that UPSTART had a surplus of $2.4 million from last year-the Utah board of education verified that is not true.
UPSTART asked us to turn our voice & praise for UPSTART to neighbors, social media, local representatives, legislators, senators & Gov. Herbert directly in an effort to change his mind.
I haven’t heard if Gov. Herbert did change his mind but, I hope so for all of you preregistered, on the wait list or considering applying.
Marci
My son is in this now and I highly recommend it!! He is already reading on a first grade reading level, the program is amazing!!! It sounds like a lot of you have some wrong information. Your income and education do not have as big an influence as some of you are saying. It is more based on when you registered, so register your children early, as soon as they are born, they can be registered!!! When registering my son, they said the area you live was used to set up the informational meeting at the beginning of the program, to know what session/area you would attend. Education was used to help them understand the demographic of the family and income was used to see if you are eligible to receive a free chrome book, for the duration of the program only, to complete the program if you do not have Internet or a computer in your home. (At this point the program does not work on a tablet. They said they are working on that.) Being a current participant, we recently received an email about the governor thing and apparently he found out he was given wrong information and called the program PERSONALLY to fix it and continue/increase funding. When registering last year, I was also given the interview then wait listed however within a short time I was called back that more funding had put me into the program! (They said this might not have happened if I registered earlier) There is a lot of support while in the program and the progress is truly amazing!!! I have friends that decided to not enroll their children in a formal preschool and do this only in preparation for kindergarten. They said they felt these children were more prepared for kindergarten than their other children who didn’t do this. All of them were reading before starting kindergarten. My son is already reading on a first grade reading level and loving it!! I highly recommend it!!! Register early!!