Porter-Leath

Every moment in Porter-Leath’s classrooms is an opportunity for children to grow! While much of the day is focused on play-based learning and high-quality curriculum, even lunch time is a chance to develop new habits and skills.

Our students are becoming experts at writing their names - a cornerstone of kindergarten readiness! Emergent writing is a child’s first attempt at the writing process. Think about how you learned to write. The trajectory went from scribbling, to mimicking letters to short words (maybe your j was backwards!) and then on to full sentences. Preschoolers typically are interested in learning to write the letters in their name because it means something to them. Namewriting proficiency provides a foundation for other literacy knowledge and skills; it is associated with alphabet knowledge, letter writing, print concepts, and spelling.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our #HeadStart Enrollment Block Party! We had a blast meeting so many parents and children who are ready to have a GREAT school year! A special thanks to our community child care partners who were there to share about their centers. There are still spots available for your child, so if you are interested, visit porterleath.org/headstart to get started.

Join us at one of this week's Head Start enrollment events where Porter-Leath is enrolling children for all Head Start locations. Walk ins are welcome! Our teachers can't wait to welcome your child into our incredible Head Start Preschool classrooms for the 2026-2027 school year. Visit porterleath.org/headstart to learn more about eligibility, access enrollment links and view a list of documents that are needed for enrollment.

Porter-Leath preschoolers train their brains to recognize patterns, making it easier to read longer, multisyllabic words. 🧠 Learning compound words is vital because it acts as a gateway for literacy development. By breaking down long, intimidating words into familiar smaller parts, readers can easily decode new vocabulary. This “chunking” method boosts reading confidence, improves speech clarity, and helps learners infer the meaning of new words.

As the summer winds down, children at Porter-Leath's Manassas #EarlyHeadStart stayed cool during their end-of-school celebration and parent recognition with water play! Water play stimulates touch and temperature awareness as toddlers experience the feeling of wet and dry, warm and cool, and the dynamic resistance of moving limbs through water.

During this year's summer camp, Rhodes College students led Porter-Leath preschoolers in a variety of activities. A fan favorite lesson involved the density and exploration of water!

August is almost here, so don’t miss the chance to enroll your child into high-quality preschool classrooms at no cost to your family. 🌟Visit one of this week’s Head Start enrollment events.🌟 Children must be 3 or 4 years old before August 15, 2026. To learn more about eligibility or the steps to enroll, visit porterleath.org/headstart.

Recently, the Porter-Leath Teacher Excellence Program hosted a graduation ceremony for our apprentices. The newly minted preschool educators celebrated an incredible milestone by earning their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential for Birth to Five, as well as their Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Office of Apprenticeship Certificate. This achievement reflects their dedication to professional growth and their commitment to providing high-quality early childhood education. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to make in the lives of young children and families.

Curious why your family should consider enrolling your preschooler into Head Start? Here is Charles Newborn, Porter-Leath’s site manager at Cottonwood Head Start to share why he thinks #headstart is beneficial for your child. Learn more about enrollment at porterleath.org/headstart.