LEARNING TO SAY PLEASE & THANK YOU: PROGRAM PROVIDES HEAD START ON SOCIAL SKILLS

Head start children rode tricycles around play equipment at the Cape Girardeau Head Start program.

Good manners never go out of style.

Good manners -- including sharing, taking turns and using special words like "please" and "thank you" -- are only a few of the things the Cape Girardeau Head Start program has emphasized every year since it opened in 1969.

The federally funded educational program was created to provide services to 3- to 5-year-olds from low-income families. Besides social skills and good manners, the children also have numerous learning activities that help develop decision-making, gross and fine motor, vocabulary, and other skills.

"Head Start is not an academic program," said supervisor Leola Twiggs. "They learn through play. Hopefully, we're helping them learn to socialize and develop in other areas while they're playing and having fun."

The Cape Girardeau Head Start is one of a handful across the nation that provides two separate programs. The half-day program provides students with an education, healthy meals and snacks, and indoor-outdoor play time. A second program provides the same opportunities but is a full-day, year-round program for children whose parents are enrolled in job-training or school programs.

"We're one of the few successful full-day programs in the state," said Janet Woods, area coordinator for Head Start. "If we had the money we could have many more kids enrolled (in both programs) because we have a waiting list."

Both programs focus on passive learning. Teachers perform formal observations of children while they play at learning centers designed to work on individual skills. Every chair, table and other item is labeled to help children develop letter recognition and vocabulary skills. Children also learn at other times, such as on the outdoor playground and during music and art activities.

Twiggs and Woods said the best learning occurs during breakfast and lunch, which are served family-style with serving dishes and adults at each table.

"Meal times are a lot of good learning times because we can work on vocabulary, waiting, sharing and taking turns," Twiggs said.

Wood said simply sitting at a table for a meal is also a difficult skill to master for some children.

"Sometimes we have children that don't even sit, because they're used to eating meals standing up in front of a television," she said. "Children learn to dip and pass, and that's important."

Head Start provides a range of support services for families. Parents are encouraged to attend monthly meetings designed to improve parenting skills. Staff members direct parents needing assistance to medical, social welfare or employment specialists.

Twiggs and Woods said families need more assistance in those areas because stress is increasing. Often, children can develop emotional or behavioral problems because they don't spend time or receive what they need from parents, who are busy trying to support their families.

"We try to accept parents where they are, and we accept all children where they are," said Twiggs, who has worked with Head Start since its inception. "There are so many pressures out there that children's lives have changed."

Although Head Start is geared towards low-income families, a certain percentage of the area enrollment can include families with higher incomes. For more information about Head Start, contact Woods or Twiggs at the East Missouri Action Agency, 1111 Linden. The telephone number is (573) 334-5533.