More at Four Pre-Kindergarten

The More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program is a high-quality pre-k program that serves children who are at risk and prepares them for success in school. Pre-kindergarten is a research-proven strategy for school readiness.

Children served by More at Four attend a full school day, full school year program that meets high-quality state standards. The program is community based. It is integrated with other early childhood programs in the community and administered at the county or regional level. Children participating in More at Four may be served in classrooms in the public schools, licensed child care centers or Head Start programs.

The More at Four program is especially beneficial for those children most at risk of school failure. According to independent evaluation findings by the FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, children served by More at Four exhibit substantial growth in key areas including language, literacy, math and social skills.

North Carolina is one of the top two states nationally for state pre-kindergarten quality standards, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research, including standards such as teacher education and training, class size, staff-child ratio, and early learning standards. Children's experiences in More at Four are rooted in North Carolina's early learning standards for preschoolers, called Foundations. These standards incorporate the five domains of development and learning fundamental to school readiness: approaches to learning, emotional and social development, health and physical development, language development and communication, and cognitive development. More at Four teachers engage children in active learning with a focus on each domain.

Children in More at Four:

• Learn about letters, colors, shapes and numbers
• Learn to develop positive relationships with peers and teachers
• Listen to stories and learn about books
• Explore math, science, art and music
• Expand language skills
• Develop a positive sense of self and an enthusiasm for learning
• Explore and play outside daily

More at Four staff value the diversity of children and their families and are responsive to the needs of individual children.

Eligibility

The program serves children who are four years old by August 31 of the program year, will be entering kindergarten the following year, and are at risk for poor school outcomes. Factors that put children at risk for poor school outcomes include low income, limited English proficiency, identified disability, chronic health condition and developmental or educational need. Children of Active Duty military families are also eligible. Priority is given to eligible children who have not been served in any other preschool or child care program.

Contact Us

Contact the agency that administers the More at Four Program in your county or region.Click herefor the county-by-county contact list. At the state level, contact the Office of Early Learning at (919)981-5300 or emailosr.info@ncpublicschools.gov.