1. School’s Cool Makes a Difference!
School’s Cool in Community Programs Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Head Start, Family Resource Programs
School’s Cool Makes
a Difference!

2. The Purpose
School’s Cool is a short term, play-based curriculum designed to increase the school readiness of 3-5 year olds, especially those who may be “at risk” of academic challenges.
The School’s Cool program is intended to:
provide communities with a school readiness program which addresses their mandate whether it be “at risk” families, new immigrants or health and well being
assist children in acquiring the skills (language, math/cognitive, psychological, social and self-help) they need to navigate and succeed in the kindergarten classroom
provide community programs with activities and outcomes that align with early learning frameworks

3. The Curriculum
The School’s Cool curriculum is play-based and links activities with observable learning outcomes.
The curriculum:
reflects widely accepted best practices in the field of early child development and related teaching approaches
is outcome-focused, increasing specific skills and abilities (e.g. listens to examples of safety practices)
encompasses over 100 learning activities that address the 5 domains
is delivered by the team in circle, outdoor play, and in teacher directed, self directed and transition times

4. School’s Cool Outcomes
Pre and post testing of over 3,000 children has shown that, on average, children attending School’s Cool experience up to a one year increase in school readiness skills.
The School’s Cool program provides children with
play-based learning opportunities to:
become familiar with classroom routines and expectations
practise the skill of self-regulating in a group – listening, taking turns, following instructions
engage in making choices that impact their learning and behaviour
be better prepared for the transition to kindergarten

5. Implementation
The School’s Cool program is flexible and can easily meet the mandates of many community providers.
In Community Programs, School’s Cool:
can be delivered at any time that works best for the organization and its families (e.g. while ESL parents meet for language lessons; in the spring or summer just prior to “at risk” children beginning kindergarten)
consists of 24 sessions, within a 3-5 hour daily timeframe
runs for approximately 6-8 weeks, 3-4 days per week
is flexible, allowing activities to be interspersed with other expectations of the centre (e.g. cultural or language activities)

6. School’s Cool Philosophy
School’s Cool focuses on reframing challenges, finding solutions that teach the skills of effective problem-solving and moving situations to a positive resolution.
The School’s Cool philosophy:
builds on strengths that encourage a positive sense of self in the children, their families and instructors
looks for the positives in each situation and collaborates on solutions that are win-win
creates an atmosphere of constructive communication where children, parents and colleagues practice a solution-focused approach

7. Assessment and Evaluation
School’s Cool provides instructors with the Developmental Checklist® a measurement tool to collect data on individual skill development and determine next steps in planning.
The Developmental Checklist is used to:
guide skill observation of children and measure child progress
inform further planning for individual children and small and large groups
share successes and challenges with parents and provide suggestions for next steps at home
demonstrate the program’s impact on children’s readiness, parent involvement and community partnerships to funders

8. Pre and Post Evaluation
Teachers complete a pre and post Developmental Checklist for each child. By comparing the pre and post checklists, teachers will see the overall change in children’s progress in the 5 domains over the course of the program.
Pre and post checklists:
are completed in the first 4 and last 4 sessions of the program
allow teachers to assess individual children, create small groups for common needs and gain a broad perspective of the whole group
provide teachers with a clear picture of each child’s strengths and needs at the end of the 24 sessions

9. Parent Involvement
School’s Cool understands the importance of parent involvement in the child’s development and education. School’s Cool encourages parents to communicate regularly with instructors and to help make those first connections with the school community.
School’s Cool promotes parent involvement by:
helping parents understand the important role they play in their children’s development
planning and delivering 2 parent information sessions
creating weekly newsletters that keep parents informed
keeping daily student logs that identify key successes or challenges
communicating regularly in person or by phone

10. Training is also available online at www.schoolscool.com.
School’s Cool Master Trainers provide 3 days of certified instructor training, teaching how to plan, deliver and evaluate an effective outcome-based program.
Training is also available online at
School’s Cool training addresses:
planning, set up and delivery of the program
the solution-focused approach to problem solving
outcome-based learning
observational coding using a developmental continuum
engaging parents
the benefits of working as a team

11. The Team Approach
Schools Cool supports the idea that knowledgeable educators working as a team can improve the school readiness skills of children, preparing them for kindergarten. School’s Cool recommends that sites have a minimum of 2 staff trained in order to achieve optimal success.
The delivery of the School’s Cool program is based on
trained certified instructors consistently working and
encouraging each other as a team in the following areas:
planning and delivery of the program
debriefing of observations, thoughts and ideas
learning and growing as instructors of young children
communicating both program and personal successes and challenges

12. The School’s Cool Kit
School’s Cool kit plus training and evaluation, is a comprehensive package that encompasses all of the tools needed to deliver the program to children and their families.
The School’s Cool kit includes:
an evidence-based school readiness curriculum for children
3-5 years
a Developmental Checklist for observing and tracking skills
Cool Bear and clothing
templates for communicating with parents
set up and delivery strategies including planning, timing, materials, assessment and evaluation and more

13. Thank you for your interest in School’s Cool For further information contact us at: or visit: