The University of Massachusets at Amherst offers a summer program for four year olds. The program focuses on reading, an important activity through which children acquire new vocabulary, strengthen writing skills and learn grammar. The program requires parent involvement through the assignment of homework wherein the parent reads to the child and plays the reading readiness and enrichment games the program provides. This program fosters intellectual development by encouraging the letter recognition, phonemic awareness and phonics.
The Bellingham Early Childhood Program offers a summer program for preschoolers. The program is staffed by teachers who are certified through the Massachusetts Department of Early Childhood Education. Children undergo developmental screenings monthly to ensure that appropriate progress is made. The program encourages development of children in many areas such as social, cognitive, physical and language skills.
The Advent School has an Early Childhood Center based on the Italian model of Reggio Emilia preschools. Each classroom is small and integrates subjects like math, arts, language, science and Spanish. Teachers stimulate intellectual development by structuring classroom activities to be hands-on, collaborative and encouraging independent exploration and thinking. Curriculum is individualized, based on the student's interests and capabilities.
Massachusetts Preschools provides a directory of preschools in all areas of the state. The website is tasked by parents and includes discussions and reviews of preschools. Information such as tuition cost, contact information, website address and a short review is included for every preschool listed. The website also gives guidelines on what to look for in a preschool and questions parents should ask.