With a new school year approaching, parents of prekindergarten aged children may be asking themselves whether or not attending pre-K makes a difference for young developing minds. Some feel that 4- and 5-year-old children are too young to be in school and need to be allowed to “be a child” a little while longer. Others feel that a high-quality prekindergarten program will give their child academic advantages in kindergarten.
So, can attending prekindergarten really make that much of a difference in a child’s development and future success?
The answer, according to a new study released in the journal of Child Development and Research conducted by the Learning Policy Institute, is yes. Educational researchers have proven what we as parents and educators have always known: a high-quality prekindergarten program is designed to set up young students for future academic, emotional and social success.
If you were to walk in a pre-K classroom at Rockdale Elementary School, you would see children playfully exploring objects in learning centers, children using technology to show what they have learned, and small group instruction based upon solid reading and math instruction.
Play is really the way that young children learn most effectively. It’s one way they experience the world, and it engages them and helps them learn more deeply. But we are not suggesting absolute free-for-all playing.
We guide the children’s play where teachers create a purposeful play environment that encourages student exploration. For example, in setting up a learning center activity, a teacher might put out various colors, sizes and shapes of blocks. She might display pictures of buildings and books about construction to inspire the students and spark their imagination.
The teacher may ask students, “What are you doing with those rectangular blocks?” or “If you added 3 green blocks how many purple and green blocks did you use altogether?”
At Rockdale ISD, we hold strong to the principle that prekindergarten is a divisive, foundational year because it often provides their initial exposure to school and sets the tone for the remainder of their educational career.
Our pre-K program offers an opportunity for growth that prepares children for kindergarten, promotes social and emotional development, promotes language and cognitive skills, and nurtures a child’s natural curiosity while boosting pre-math and literacy competencies, and developing both fine and gross motor skills.
We embrace the diversity of our youngest learners by creating a variety of hands-on learning experiences geared towards their interests. Likewise, our students and teachers celebrate personal and academic achievements as we work collaboratively with parents to set academic and social goals and celebrate individual and class successes.
Call 512-430-6030 with any questions about registration or anything else about the pre-K program.
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