How can we help preschoolers prepare for kindergarten? Twenty-six preschool and childcare workers came together for a Saturday morning workshop with this shared goal in mind.
The free workshop, Preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten, gave early childhood educators information about creating environments that are most conducive to learning. Participants enjoyed breakout sessions that included working with feelings, enhancing the development of fine motor skills, using picture books to build oral language and involving preschoolers in singing and movement. The morning ended with questions and answers during a roundtable activity.
It was a community-building event, sponsored by Salina Public Schools and Central Kansas Cooperative in Education. “There really is room for everybody,” explained Patricia Haas, Early Childhood Family & Community Liaison at Salina Public Schools. “We all shared and the information will help students who are transitioning from preschool to kindergarten.” Nearly 60 percent of the participants were preschool workers, 31 percent were childcare or in-home care providers with the remaining 11 percent other community members.
“We’re building a framework where children, families, schools, programs, peers and communities are all interconnected,” said Haas. And that’s something we can all support – our community helping us create great opportunities for students.