Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 28, 1994                   TAG: 9406280039
SECTION: PARENT'S GUIDE                    PAGE: WPG10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DONNA MUSSELWHITE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EARLY EDUCATION TEACHES CHILDREN SKILLS FOR SCHOOL

Children need to develop certain skills to be ready for school, says Mary Ann Gibson, the director of Roanoke City Schools' Chapter One pre-K program.

"We know that in today's world, with parents working and struggling to make ends meet, that they often don't have time and opportunity to work with their children, to stimulate them with learning activities. What we try to do in Chapter One programming is to provide a building block before kindergarten," Gibson says, adding that all parents should look for that same element in other day-care providers.

Chapter One programming, which is funded by federal money for children who are educationally deprived, seeks to promote language development, social skills in terms of playing and working well with others, good health and safety habits, motor development and coordination, and exploration and discovery.

The children have a daily routine of "active learning segments," in which they plan what they're going to do and then have review sessions where they talk about what they've done. The children make active choices throughout the day about their activities.

The classroom is set up in four centers: one with blocks for building and construction; a housekeeping center for development of social and emotional skills; an art center; and a quiet area with books, tapes and computers. The children move through the centers throughout their day.

Gibson recommends that parents whose children wouldn't qualify for Chapter One look for these same characteristics in other day care.

"You should look for a caring, warm atmosphere when you visit. There should be lots of materials on the children's level, manipulative materials for them to learn with.

"You want to ask questions about the staff's training. You want people working with your child who are trained in early childhood development, and you want to know that the staff is receiving ongoing development to keep up with new research and techniques," she said.

Gibson also recommends that parents consider the child/staff ratio of day-care centers.

"The maximum for Chapter One is 16 children to two staff people," she said.