Preparing Refugees for Elementary Programs (PREP) is a federal program to prepare young refugee children for further learning in the United States. Findings from current research on how children learn to speak, read, and write were used to design the curriculum. All children receive 18 weeks of full-time instruction, during which their parents also study English and cultural and work orientation. The weekly schedule and activities are typical of those in an American school. The largest single block of scheduled time is for English language dealing with familiar topics in school and daily life. One hour a day is devoted to reading and writing. Eight 30-minute periods a week are devoted to math instruction, and additional time is allotted for recess and enrichment activities. The program uses the natural language approach to oral language development, and whole language approaches to literacy development, including shared reading with big books, the language experience approach to reading content, sustained silent reading, dictated stories, dialogue journal writing, and creative writing exercises. (MSE)