KINDERGARTNERS OFFERED `PASSPORTS'

Educare is offering special passports to make entering kindergarten feel less like going into a foreign country for first-time students.

Educare is a free, school-readiness program that helps parents teach children ages birth to 5 years old. The program has sponsored the Kindergarten Passport project for two years. Family specialist Janice Friedrich said many parents are taking advantage of the opportunity to ease the transition from home to school.

"We've already had four events this year, and the turnout is much larger than last year," Friedrich said. "Our final two dates are coming up soon, and we think the turnout will continue to grow."

Children and their parents develop passports together. Each passport includes a photo of the child and background information provided by a parent or guardian. Children are also encouraged to draw a picture of their family to be included in the packet.

Educare distributes the completed passports to the appropriate teachers, who use them to familiarize themselves with their student and to develop instruction plans for the year.

"It helps the child because it helps the teacher know their needs and their background," Friedrich said. "Teachers gain a better understanding of their classes, and that allows them to develop curriculum plans that fit the needs of their students."

Friedrich said each passport takes about 30 minutes to complete. Many people think that the passport program and other Educare programs are restricted to certain families or income levels, she said, but anyone can utilize the group's services.

"Educare provides home visits and other services to any family in the community," she said. "No restrictions. We have a resource center with books and videos on different developmental processes, and all the parents have to do is call and say they want to use the services."

PASSPORT EVENTS

-- Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Cape Girardeau County Health Center, 1111 Linden.

-- Aug. 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cape Girardeau Public Library.

For more information call Educare at 651-9171.