“The fact that Brooke is doing well in kindergarten is because of PHLpreK.”

Heather Alessi’s daughter Brooke graduated from Spots for Tots last year. Brooke is now 5 and attends Roxborough Christian School. She loves drawing and reading, and can count in Spanish.

“When she started kindergarten they did an assessment and they were impressed with how much she was prepared for,” said Heather.

“She’s ahead because of PHLpreK. The fact that she’s reading now, that’s because of where she came from.”

Spots for Tots is a small, home-based center, and Heather says it was the perfect fit for her daughter. She and Brooke loved the personal attention and care that went into lessons.

That’s why Heather was excited that PHLpreK allowed her daughter, who enrolled at the center at 11 months old, to continue learning there. Personal attention is what Heather loved most about the center, and that only grew as Brooke moved into pre-K.

Before Spots for Tots, “she was coming from spending time with her grandma, and I wanted to have a relationship with her teacher,” said Heather. “That’s what I got, I’d text her and she’d text or call me back.”

Personal attention made a big difference for Brooke, too. She was nervous about going to kindergarten and leaving Spots for Tots.

“They’d take her aside for one-on-one breakfasts and say, ‘Why are you nervous?’ They did that three times and she’d tell them why and they’d talk about it. She was most worried she wouldn’t make new friends. They’d listen to her concerns and comfort her. Then they suggested we go see her new school.”

“They paid attention to her, and made her feel comfortable,” said Heather. “My hopes and dreams are that she continues with her confidence.”

PHLpreK graduate Brooke poses with her kindergarten teacher.

Brooke has already made many more friends in kindergarten. And Spots for Tots has stayed in touch. They check in with Heather to see how Brooke is doing and Heather shares pictures of Brooke’s school progress. Heather hopes her younger daughter, Casey, who is 3, will have the same PHLpreK experience soon. “It’s been absolutely been beneficial for Brooke.”