Gently cupping a chick, preschooler Todd Fightmaster peers into its eyes, leans in to give it a sniff and answers questions from teacher assistant Mary Giles. She wants to know the chick's color, size, habitat. "Do you think it would make a good pet?" she asks. There's a vigorous nod. "But what about your cat?"
"I'd keep it in my room, K," Todd responds.
Elsewhere, his classmates at Jefferson Elementary School rotate through "corners." At one table, a group of four students color counting booklets. "Four strawberries. Strawberries are red. Six cherries. Cherries are red too," says one student to no one in particular. Fifteen students are participating in the pilot afternoon program at the school.
Children who can identify letters and sounds before kindergarten are 20 times more likely to read basic words by the end of kindergarten than children who don't know their letters or sounds, according to Pre-K Now. The Washington, D.C. advocacy group also says students who start behind often also stay behind; 88 percent of first-graders who struggle at reading continue to struggle with reading in fourth grade, the group reports.
The Cape Girardeau School District started a preschool program this school year hoping money paid now will contribute to later academic success. The jury is still out as the district waits for official data on the preschoolers' progress.
In August, the preschool students were given the Dial-3, which measures students' motor and language skills and their knowledge of concepts. Scores are still being compiled for a follow-up test given this spring, said Deena Ring, director of special services for the district. School board president Kyle McDonald said he would like to see the students tracked over a period of years "to see if the program is as beneficial as I think it is."
Anecdotally, teacher Amy Grammer says, the growth has been "tremendous," and administrators, principals and teachers are calling the inaugural year of the preschool program a success by nearly all counts.
Administrators decided last month to expand the program to include Alma Schrader Elementary next year, Ring said. She said the move did not require approval from the school board.
Currently, about 60 children aged 4 and 5 have attend half-day programs at either Jefferson or Blanchard Elementary schools. "I would like to see it expanded to all elementary schools, but I know it will take additional classrooms," McDonald said. Both Clippard Elementary and Franklin Elementary do not have the space to sustain a preschool class presently, Ring said.
The district budgeted $168,000 for the two preschool classrooms this year, which includes salaries, supplies and staff development. The cost to expand to Alma Schrader is estimated at $75,000 or less.
The district charges a sliding fee for the program: $2 a day for children who are eligible for free lunch, $4 a day for children who qualify for reduced-price lunch, and $8 a day for all others. This year, fees covered less than 15 percent of expenses.
McDonald said he is aware of some taxpayers' complaints about district money going to the program. "A lot of taxpayers that say things like that, I wonder how many really sat down and thought of the benefits of a preschool-type program. If they're saying it's the responsibility of the parents to put their child in a preschool program, I don't think they really understand the dynamics of a single-parent household or the fact a lot of families can't afford a preschool program," he said, adding that the program is "one thing you can't say isn't worth spending money on."
The district originally reserved eight of the 15 spots in each session for students with special needs, but not as many enrolled as expected, Ring said. An early childhood special education program already exists in the district for children with documented developmental delays. Students with less severe delays are eligible to be "mainstreamed" into the preschool program.
Busing is not provided to preschool students, which may limit the population of "at-risk" students the district is targeting, said Grammer and Suann DeWitt, preschool teacher at Blanchard.
"Some people might not have cars, and that causes some issues. Or they might have to miss because their car breaks down," DeWitt said. Seventy-nine percent of students at Blanchard qualify for free or reduced-price lunch; at Jefferson, 92.8 percent do.
Grammer said she has experienced turnover in her class because of parents' work schedules or transportation, but overall she and DeWitt say the district has succeeded in targeting intended students. Between 85 to 88 percent of students qualify for the $2 daily rate.
"Price is definitely a plus," said parent Christa Teague, whose son, Trenton, is in DeWitt's class. She said DeWitt has taught Trenton more than academics. "At the beginning of the year, Mrs. DeWitt had several problems with Trenton not wanting to follow the rules. He didn't want to sit or be part of the class. She's done wonders. Otherwise I don't think he'd be ready for kindergarten," she said.
On Thursday, Trenton and the rest of his class held a finger over their lips as they marched outside to recess. Most days, students arrive, eat either breakfast or lunch, use "calendar time" to review weather, days of the weeks or letters, rotate through activity stations, and then have about a 45-minute recess. Students also attend gym, music and art classes and go to the library.
Researchers say the key to a successful preschool program is the quality of teachers. "Preschool doesn't work if it isn't well done," said David Kirp, author of "The Sandbox Investment: The Preschool Movement and Kids-First Politics." He argues preschool teachers should be certified and equally compensated with other teachers. He also supports class-size limits.
The Cape Girardeau School District sets a limit of 15 students per class; a waiting list of between five to six students has existed most of the year. Each certified teacher also has an assistant, sometimes two.
"I don't want to make it seem like a junior kindergarten. There is definitely play involved, because play can teach you so many things: how do you explain how you feel to someone else, how do you react, how do you take turns," Ring said.
At the beginning of the year, Grammer had students who would talk back or didn't know how to use a pencil or scissors. She set goals for her students to be able to write their name, recognize colors and shapes, count to 30 and understand the connection between letters and sounds.
"They have grown so much from the beginning of the year, when they didn't know how to sit still for a story, walk in line or even hold a pencil," Grammer said.
In 1999, the district was awarded a three-year state grant through the Missouri Preschool Project, but after funding disappeared so did the program. Blanchard Elementary principal Dr. Barbara Kohlfeld is glad to see the program is back and under the discretion of the district.
"We're trying to prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills to be successful," Kohlfeld said.
lbavolek@semissourian.com
335-6611, extension 123
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TO ENROLL: The district is accepting applications for enrollment for next year's preschool program. Call the administrative office at 335-1867 for an application to be mailed to you. Enrollment information will be posted to the district's Web site, www.cape.k12.mo.us, by Wednesday.
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