Starting young

BY LISA SAVAGE

As the two students were focused on the educational technology, another girl painted with watercolors on a large drawing pad draped over an easel. Two other students dressed up, pretending in their roles as a police officer and a chef.

Meanwhile, teacher Whitney Curtis used a smartboard to practice counting skills with another group of students.

It’s a typical day in the pre-K classroom at Cedar Hill Elementary in Ardmore.

A.J. Baiz, left, and Hannah Moore use iPads to play educational games.

This pre-K teaching method is proven, which is evident in the classrooms daily, Curtis says. “The kids are learning through play,” she says. “The academic skills are blended with play, and they don’t even know that they’re learning.”

Students do a range of fun, educational activities throughout the day, while also learning how to walk in a line to the lunchroom, playground or library and get along. They also are taught to get along with others.

The goal is to help establish a daily routine, says Marsha Perry, an auxiliary teacher in Curtis’ classroom. “They’ve never had to walk in a line, and they’re learning to follow directions,” she says.

By the time pre-K students start kindergarten, they hit the ground running. “They start learning right away,” Perry says.

SUCCESS IN NUMBERS

Alabama’s pre-K has topped national rankings for 12 years. The first pre-K program in the state started in 2000 with one classroom, and now there are more than 1,000 classrooms.

This is the first year to have at least one pre-K classroom at all eight elementary schools in Limestone County, says Julia Wall, coordinator of the elementary curriculum and director of the office of school readiness for pre-K in the county. “That’s a huge accomplishment,” says Wall, who sought new grants to add the last two schools this year.

Whitney Curtis leads an educational counting game on the smartboard.

In addition to Cedar Hill, there are pre-K classes at Blue Springs, Creekside, Johnson, Piney Chapel, Sugar Creek and Tanner elementary schools. Even with the additional classes, there’s only space for about 30 percent of the 4-year-olds in Limestone County, Wall says.

For now, the pre-K programs in the county are at capacity, and there are no new classes slated for the immediate future, Wall says.

Each pre-K grant is $150,000, which covers salaries, furnishings and equipment for the classrooms, playgrounds and other incidental costs. The grants do not cover all the costs, and the school systems are required to provide a 25 percent match.

But it’s an important investment, and the data backs up students’ successes.

State statistics show that kindergarten through third-grade students who attended a pre-K program have better grades than students who did not, Wall says. The program prepares students for school readiness and lifelong learning.

Any parent or guardian with a child who is 4 years old by Sept. 2, 2019, can register the child for pre-K. Each class is limited to 18 students who randomly qualify through a lottery system. There is a waiting list for those not selected.

The Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education is part of the executive division of the state government and administers the pre-K program. The department operates separately from the Alabama Department of Education, which is responsible for kindergarten through grade 12. Pre-K teachers must have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

Alabama’s success leads the nation, based on a report from the National Institute for Early Education. It’s that success that caught the attention of Elliot G. Steinberg, a director of the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation. The foundation funded a documentary that the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Massachusetts produced about Alabama’s pre-K program.

While pre-K students sometimes learn to identify letters and numbers, the Alabama pre-K program focuses on social and emotional skills, such as learning how to line up for lunch, how to keep one’s hands to oneself, and how to get along with other children. “It’s not teaching in a conventional way,” Steinberg says.

Steinberg says reaching 4-year-olds is important, catching them while their brains are still developing. “If they haven’t learned these things by then, they fall behind,” he says.

The whole idea is a level playing field for all children. That needs to be the goal of education in America, Steinberg says. “It’s expanding based on the results of its success,” he says. “Everyone can learn from Alabama’s model.”

Why high quality pre K?

Numerous studies have shown that students who participate in high-quality prekindergarten programs:

—— Are less likely to repeat a grade, require remedial education or be placed in special education.

—— Score higher on achievement tests.

Are more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college.

—— Get higher-paying salaries as adults.

—— Are more likely to stay out of prison and off welfare.

Jaxon Turner, bottom, and Jackson “Jack” Kanzler dress up as a chef and policeman.

HOW TO ENROLL

Pre-K registration begins Jan. 15. Registration is online only for all schools that have a pre-K program. Those without access to online registration can contact the school in their area for assistance.

Acceptance to the program is through a random selection process. Applicants must meet residence requirements. Students must be 4 years old by Sept. 2, 2019. Children will not be denied based on income, sex, race, color, national origin or disability.

For registration, go to www.children. alabama.gov and click on the "school readiness" drop-down and follow the instructions. Information also will be available through the schools’ social media and websites.