The early bird catches the worm, but Mississippi remains one of the few states in the nation without a state-funded pre-kindergarten program, which likely would go a long way toward moving the state up from the bottom rankings of educational progress.
Out of Mississippi”s 152 school districts, only 38 this year reported enrollment in pre-k programs, which local educators say are invaluable.
“Yes, we are one of only a handful of districts in the state that have a pre-k program for our students,” said Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Dr. Del Phillips, noting Stokes-Beard Elementary Technology and Communication Magnet School”s pre-kindergarten program currently accepts 60 students each year.
“There are numerous advantages to early childhood education,” he continued. “The first and foremost is a structured, academic environment. Many of our parents do an excellent job preparing students for entry into school, but some do not and that really has an impact on the child”s achievement. Brain-based research has taught us that children develop mentally more from birth to age 5 than they do for the rest of their life. Those early years are extremely important for development of linguistic skills and cross-brain development.”
Demand is high for Stokes-Beard”s pre-k program, which is made up of three classrooms of students and a “fully inclusive classroom” of special-needs students, as well as three certified teachers, four assistant teachers and one special education teacher, said Stokes-Beard Principal Pamela Lenoir.
“We have had pre-k at our school for four years now and each year the program is full, with a waiting list,” she said, explaining the value of early elementary education. “The earlier we can get our children in, the earlier we can start working with them and the better prepared they”re going to be. If we can get them early, we don”t have to do a lot of the groundwork, once they enter into kindergarten.
“We”re laying the foundation with them in the pre-kindergarten program,” she continued. “They”re learning alphabet and letter sounds, numbers, all of those basic skills and even pre-reading skills. We have several children who, when they leave pre-k, they”re either reading or are very close to reading. It just helps a child because they won”t lag behind.”
“There should be a movement (to push for state-funded programs),” said West Oktibbeha County Elementary School Principal Dr. Gale Cook, noting this year the school piloted the Oktibbeha County School District program, which serves 18 children, through a “blended partnership” with Institute of Community Services Inc. Headstart. “It has been wonderful. We had children coming, participating, and the parents were very supportive. The children learned so much. Those children have advanced. Some of them are reading! We taught the five components of reading and (the program) was just what we have needed for years. It has just been a wonderful experience.”
The OCSD board of education recently approved a new pre-kindergarten program at East Oktibbeha County Elementary School and renewed the existing program at West Elementary; each program will take about 20 students.
Teneka Cannon teaches the pre-k program at West Elementary, where children learn letter and number recognition skills, how to make patterns, listening and reading comprehension skills and many other preparatory skills.
“The earlier, the better,” she said of educating children. “These kids have been exposed to all the skills that they”ll need to teach them how to read and go on through kindergarten and on through school.
“If I were in kindergarten again, I would have loved for the kids to have come from my (pre-k) class,” Cannon, a former kindergarten teacher, added. “It makes a difference!”
“I am a huge advocate for early education,” said Phillips. “My wish for Mississippi would be state funding or partial state funding for pre-k, early childhood education in every school system. Although I don”t see that happening in the near future, I certainly hope more districts will combine Title funds from the federal government and district funds to allow access to pre-k for students in their district.”
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