Starting school can be a daunting experience for children who have never spent the day away from their parents.
However, at New Albany-Plain Local Schools’ Early Learning Center (ELC), Principal Michelle Levero aims to mitigate the stress of beginning school for kindergarten and pre-K students by helping them build a strong foundation for learning.
She believes that the ELC is a great way for young students to acclimate to a school schedule and become comfortable outside of the home before they start primary school.
“It’s a constant building of that stamina, the social-emotional piece of preschool. How to play cooperatively with others, how to follow rules, understanding consequences. There’s all of the social aspects of preschool that’s just as impactful as the academics,” Levero says.
Melinda Whitehead-Moran began her career in education 21 years ago as a teacher and has since become an academic coach at the ELC. It’s her job to work closely with teachers, kids, parents and administrators to ensure that every student at the ELC is getting the best education possible and is prepared for the academic road that lies ahead.
She says that in her decade with this district, she has seen the benefits of keeping pre-K and kindergarten in their own building. After an “awkward” period of K-5 sharing a building, Whitehead-Moran and Levero agree that it is best for preschool and kindergarten to share a space separate from older students.
The ELC begins classes a week later than the rest of the district. During this week, every family gets 20-30 minutes to sit down personally with their student’s teacher to build trust and set expectations for the months ahead.
Having a trusted adult in the building before their first day of school helps students feel comfortable and more at home in their new environment, Levero says.
It is equally important for the teacher, as this screening gives them the chance to get a glimpse at students’ skill sets and tailor the year to come.
Levero and Whitehead-Moran assert that preschool is an extremely valuable learning period in all aspects.
“Our first six weeks of school are really a lot of small groups and getting kids used to the routines of the building but also setting the expectations,” Levero says. “It’s that first six weeks that is pivotal to the success of the rest of the school year.”
A common misconception that Levero and Whitehead-Moran hope to dispel is that preschool is just organized playtime.
“Everything a preschool teacher does is intentional and purposeful. Even just while the kids are in the center and playing, that facilitated playing has value. The teacher knows how to extend their conversation, add detail to what they’re saying, to give them ideas to make them think a little differently,” Levero says.
Levero emphasizes the importance of good communication between teachers and students and says that developing the foundational skill of curiosity and asking questions translates to greater success down the line.
The ELC teaches kids at a pace that works best for them. Whitehead-Moran says that if a child is progressing and shows signs that they are ready for more difficult reading or mathematics practice, their teachers can tailor their learning plan to challenge them more appropriately.
“Every moment is a teachable moment,” Levero says. “Here at the Early Learning Center, that’s kind of the motto.”
But the teachers aren’t the only educators at the ELC – one of its key features is that pre-K students learn from kindergartners, both directly and by example.
Pre-K students learn certain behaviors from kindergartners, such as being quiet in the hallway and waiting their turn at lunch.
Kindergarten students also read to preschoolers, developing their reading skills and showing preschoolers what they have to look forward to in their second and final year at the ELC.
The spirit of camaraderie is powerful at the ELC, as kindergartners participate in pre-K activities, such as cheering on parades that the younger classes host.
At the end of the year, kindergartners write letters to the upcoming class detailing their favorite lessons and activities from the year. Whitehead-Moran says this is a great opportunity for setting goals and getting kids excited about learning.
Though every student has different needs, they all leave the ELC with the same skills that make them ready for moving on to first grade.
“Our biggest challenge in this building is making sure that every student that leaves this building (is) foundationally ready to have these strong literacy skills and mathematical skills and social-emotional skills so that they can progress and have a love of learning,” Whitehead-Moran says.
And while students get a few months of free time once the school year is complete, teachers are always hard at work. Staff are busy preparing for the coming year and improving the curriculum for the next group of malleable young minds.
“We believe in our program because we believe in the collaborative work between pre-K and kindergarten teachers,” Levero says. “We’re always reviewing our curriculum and how we’re serving students.”
Whitehead-Moran says that it was always her goal in life to be an impactful and memorable teacher for young students. She is thrilled that her position allows her to go to higher grade-level schools and see the progress that her former students have made since they left the ELC.
“Students I haven’t seen in years, I’m able to see whole writing pieces that they’re creating and recalling what they were like when you were teaching them how to decode words and create simple sentences, and now, they’re writing stories about their thoughts and their feelings,” she says, “and it’s just amazing as a teacher to get to see the progression.”
Tyler Kirkendall is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at tkirkendall@cityscenemediagroup.com.
