This article by journalist Jason Swensen was originally published in Deseret News on December 24, 2024.

Diyan T’ Sharma is still a year or two away from his first day of kindergarten. But the 4-year-old Murray boy is already discovering the wonders of reading and math.

“If we’re out traveling and Diyan sees a new word he will try to read it out loud — and then say to me, ‘Hey, Mom, that line says this!’” said his mother, Anju Thapaliya. “Then he reads it back to me.”

For parents of a pre-K child, such real-time learning is thrilling to watch.

Yes, Diyan is taking his first steps to literacy. But he’s simultaneously building confidence in his capacity to learn. And he’s developing a positive relationship with education. Learning new things is fun, safe and rewarding.

That’s a relationship that will serve Diyan well throughout his fast-approaching formal school years and beyond.

For the past few months, Diyan has been participating in Waterford Upstart, an adaptive online software program for pre-K children that is funded by the state of Utah. He’s one of approximately 15,000 Utah youngsters utilizing Waterford to help master the basics of phonics, math and science.

A nonprofit, Waterford Upstart’s goal is to partner with parents, caregivers and schools to help children reach key learning milestones by third grade. That’s a critical grade that often signals if a child will have a successful educational experience, Waterford’s executive vice president of marketing and communication Kim Fischer told the Deseret News.

“It’s right around third grade that a child should be shifting from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn,’” she said.

Kindergarten readiness is also a key metric for long-term student success.

“The first five years of life are a time of rapid learning and development that has profound and lasting effects,” according to the National Center for Education Statistics. “During this sensitive period, the developing brain is especially primed to create neural networks that support learning and development for years to come.”

Children who enter kindergarten more ready to grow and learn have an advantage over their peers who are less ready to do so, the NCES report added. Lower levels of kindergarten readiness are associated with poorer academic outcomes from elementary to high school.

The Waterford Upstart online learning program is designed to help launch Utah’s pre-K kids on their own trajectory to long-term educational success.

It’s estimated that the Beehive State is home to approximately 40,000 4-year-olds. The state is providing funds for about half that number to participate in the online Waterford Upstart learning program.

Every young Utah learner, starting at age 4, can begin prepping for kindergarten by registering for the Waterford Upstart program.

“Utah is proud to support initiatives that foster long-term economic growth,” said Ryan Starks, the executive director of the Governor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, in a Waterford news release.

“Investing in early education equips our youth with long-term academic and professional success.”

No laptop? No Wi-Fi? No problem

Since 2018, more than 126,000 Utah children have used Waterford Upstart.

With a 96% family satisfaction rate, Waterford Upstart is proving particularly effective for kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or who speak English as a second language, said Fischer.

But many such children may not have access in their homes to, say, a laptop or even reliable Wi-Fi.

That’s not a deterrent for registered Waterford Upstart participants. “We will provide a tablet and access to a Wi-Fi hotspot for all families — and again, none of this will come at a cost for families because it is state-funded,” Fischer added.

While most Utah parents own a smartphone, they’re not recommended for kids utilizing the Waterford program. Many of the Waterford interactive lessons require a bit of dexterity to trace and move objects about on screen.

“So we want them on something slightly bigger,” said Fischer.

Besides having a child participating in the Waterford Upstart program, Thapaliya is also Governor’s Office for Economic Opportunity’s program manager of strategic initiatives. As a parent and a state government representative, she is encouraged that all Utah pre-K children, regardless of economic circumstances, can get a jumpstart on their education through Waterford Upstart.

“There is no cost for parents to enroll … every child in Utah can participate,” she said.

What will my child learn?

Learning to read is perhaps the fundamental goal for youngsters utilizing Waterford Upstart. The literacy portion focuses on six key reading skills: phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, reading comprehension and vocabulary, language concepts, and communication.

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Meanwhile, Waterford’s math and science curriculum focuses on basic math and science skills designed to prepare them for school — including numbers and operations, algebraic thinking, measurement and data, geometry and science.

The program also develops mindset skills to help foster life skills such as a positive attitude, self-regulation and empathy for others.

Waterford Upstart works best when it’s a shared, family learning experience.

Fischer said parents often report “getting a kick” out watching their children find joy in learning and mastering a new reading or math skill.

Waterford Upstart spokeswoman Gretchen Willard noted that the program provides guidance on taking Waterford’s online learning opportunities “and then taking them offline.”

For example, after a child learns about the letter “L” during his or her online Waterford lesson, families can take a walk around their neighborhood and spot things that begin with “L”.

Thapaliya and her son Diyan have made a habit of sitting down together in the early evening each weekday and spending about 30 minutes on Waterford Upstart’s reading and math lessons.

It’s never drudgery, she said.

“Diyan enjoys the lessons because of the (animated) characters and how they present the lessons,” she said. “At first, he was not always keen on doing the lessons. But as I’ve gotten involved and pointed out how to do things, he has started to enjoy it more.”

Enrolling in Waterford Upstart

Utah parents and caregivers can register for the program on the Waterford Upstart site. After their child’s fourth birthday, they are eligible to begin with their individualized lessons.

Utah Waterford participants attend in-person or online orientations where parents receive training on utilizing the program and tips on engaging with their kids.

Because it is a publicly-funded program, the children are asked to take a brief initial test to access individual aptitude levels. At the end of the year, the children will take another test to measure progress and share their research with the state of Utah.

Registration for 4-year-olds in Utah is open until Jan. 31, 2025.

Four-year-old Diyan T’ Sharma is now about three months into his Waterford Upstart learning experience.

His mother relishes knowing she knows exactly where her son is on his educational path.

“He is reading now and recognizing rhymes,” said Thapaliya. “And he’s learning how to count and is already adding simple numbers. I can see those tiny improvements.”