This document proposes introducing college readiness vocabulary in early childhood through educational games and activities. It notes that students from low-income backgrounds are less likely to be exposed to "college" vocabulary at home. Two fictional students, John and Jane, are used to illustrate how exposure starting in early childhood can better prepare all students for college. The document outlines ideas for early childhood games and activities centered around college vocabulary. It argues that introducing this vocabulary early will help develop students' cultural capital and verbal skills to discuss college planning. The goal is to create a more equitable path to college for students from all backgrounds.

1. (Aligned to Financial
Literacy TEKS & College
Readiness Standards)
Introduce College Ready
Vocabulary in Early Childhood!
© Cameo Education Games LLC
SXSW EDU, March 4-7, 2019
Austin, TX

3. Born: Aug. 1, 2000 Born: Aug. 1, 2000

4. John’s family visits colleges; goes to
church; discusses John’s
college future over dinner.
“College” is a natural part of John’s
daily vocabulary.
Jane lives with a single mom who
works two jobs; her mom is rarely
home so Jane spends her free time
watching TV or caring for her
siblings. Jane does not hear the word
“college” until high school.

5. John understands and internalizes
everything because he reflects on
the conversations he and his family
had since he was a child.
Jane is lost, confused and afraid to
ask questions because this
vocabulary is foreign to her.
College has not been part of her
vocabulary.
GPA, SAT, Class Rank, Ivy
League, FAFSA , Subsidized ..?

6. John is college-ready!
Jane is afraid &
NOT college-ready.
?

7. Rationale
“College,” is simply not part of Jane’s vocabulary, thus students like Jane do
not develop the social or cultural capital that exists in the lives of their
counterparts. (Seider, 2012).
Literature Review
Social Capital can be understood as specific knowledge or strategies that can
be applied to the process that leads to college enrollment.
Cultural Capital can be understood as information about norms and
expectations. (Cates & Schaefle, 2011).
Social and Cultural Capital are keys to developing the verbal facility needed
for students to engage in college readiness conversations that enable them to
reflect and take charge of their own college future.

8. Problem of Practice:
The college education gap between Latinas/os and whites has grown
to 29 percentage points (Kolodner, 2017). Students of color from low-
income backgrounds are less likely to attend college (Gandara & Bial,
2001) than their more affluent counterparts (National Association for
College Admissions Counseling, 2004).
The gap between low income Latinas/os and the more affluent White
students continues to widen despite the fact that the Latina/o population
is growing (Swail, Cabrera, Lee, & Willliams, 2004; Kolodner 2017).

9. P-20! Hot topic in education- Preschool (or Prenatal) through
College Graduation! Prenatal was coined by Michigan’s Governor Rick
Snyder.
P-16 councils were first established in the 1990s to convene state
leaders representing early learning (the "P") through the first four
years of college (the "16").
More recently, states have extended the intended scope of such
councils' work to P-20, to reach doctoral and professional schools
(the "20"). The stated goal of P-16 and P-20 councils is to develop a
seamless system of education with aligned expectations from the
earliest years of a child's development, through the K-12 system,
and into and through post-secondary education.
https://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/
Longitudinal data is compiled based on failure rates and
standardized tests.

10. One of the widely cited models for understanding the college
access process is that proposed originally by Hossler and Gallagher
(1987) and reiterated by Cates and Schaefle (2011), which is
composed of three stages: predisposition, search, and choice.
The predisposition phase is THE most critical stage. It involves
students making the decision to pursue a college education (Cates
& Schaefle 2011).

11. How about Parents?
Journal of Hispanic Higher Education published a qualitative study that
focused on college readiness among 9 Latino families in the Rio
Grande area.
Their findings indicate that parents want to get their students not only
to the college door but through the college door, declaring that their
children will go to college. (Clup D., Gonzalez E., Gonzalez, J., Aldape,
H., Guerra, M., Lagunas, B., Qiong Y., Manzano, H., Zorn, D.; Nuestros
Hijos van a la Universidad, 2016.)
They recognize there are keys to helping guarantee access to college,
and it is these keys that these parents seek. (Clup D., Gonzalez E.,
Gonzalez, J., Aldape, H., Guerra, M., Lagunas, B., Qiong Y., Manzano,
H., Zorn, D.; Nuestros Hijos van a la Universidad, 2016.)
How about College Educated Parents?
They recognize the competitive nature of college entrance and are
eager to start their child early.

12. KEY:
A robust, college ready vocabulary is key to empowering
students & parents to hold quality conversations with their
school counselors and peers. These critical conversations
can literally help set students up with the predisposition to
pursue college.
Verbal facility is key to navigating the educational system
(Stolle-McAllister, 2011).

13. Breakthrough Solution:
Early Childhood Activities can help students like Jane become
immersed (early in childhood) in college-ready vocabulary to instill
the verbal facility needed to develop social and cultural capital and
the predisposition to consider college in their future. This will create
a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach.

14. A search through the Barnes & Noble data base found that there are no early
childhood books or games that focus on college readiness. All titles that
focus on college readiness begin in late middle school or high school years
(December 2017).
Let’s challenge the status quo and present college readiness in early
childhood!! I do not believe the vocabulary is too difficult.
Note some examples of current ABCMouse* games and/or books with
examples of vocabulary in each:
• Environments Guide (marine, tundra, precipitation, biomes)
• All About the Weather (sunscreen)
• All About the Planets (Solar System)
• All About the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, California)
• Search and Explore (sturgeon, flounder)
• When I Grow Up (Veterinarian, Scientist)
• People at Work Poetry: Nurse
• People at Work Poetry: Teacher
Dora the Explorer Goes to School* (example of another series that does not
yet have college as part of their series)

15. Ideas for ABCMouse* & College Ready-the Game:
• ABCMouse Goes to College
• ABCMouse Visits College
• ABCMouse Goes On College Visits
• All About Getting Ready for College
• When I Grow Up I want to go to College
• People at College- Poetry
(Spanish Version & Chinese/Mandarin Version)
Copyright-
Cameo Education Games LLC

16. People at College-Poetry
College, college, in universities
That’s where students earn degrees
Associates, Masters, Bachelors, oooh!
What about a Doctorate, can that be earned too?
© Cameo Education Games LLC

17. All About College
College is very, very important.
College is where people learn to become teachers,
entrepreneurs, doctors, etc.
A university has many different colleges like:
College of Education, College of Business, College of
Medicine.
Copyright-
Cameo Education Games LLC

18. Search and Explore
Circle the 8 Ivy League Schools:
Stanford
Yale
Georgetown
Brown
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
UCLA
Harvard
MIT
Princeton
University of Pennsylvania
© Cameo Education Games LLC

19. Theoretical Framework
The theory of Pragmatism was coined by John
Dewey, who most scholars consider as the father
of education:
Dewey believed that learning by doing is one of
the life skills that is crucial to childhood education.

20. If Early Childhood Resource Companies can create games and
activities for teachers to implement for their students to play
beginning early in life then students like Jane will no longer be afraid
to speak up. They will grow up ready……college-ready!
John Jane
Thank you very much for your time!
Dr. Cissy Reynolds-Perez
361-815-5538
Cissy.perez@yahoo.com