THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 26, 1995 TAG: 9501250129
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
DURING THE 1993 school year, kindergarten teachers at Booker T. Washington Elementary School noticed significant differences among their students.
Some so lacked preparation that they had to repeat kindergarten, said teacher Barbara Wells. But children who had come from day care knew the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes and had sorting and classifying skills.
Principal Patricia Montgomery asked the five kindergarten teachers to keep records on their 96 students - scores on assessment tests, academic progress, discipline problems, whether parents were involved with their children.
``We wanted to learn from them (day care centers) what types of experience they offered the child,'' Wells said. ``There is a natural link between private day care and public kindergarten. In some areas, schools were preparing children well, but in others, ``we wondered what their goals were.''
The result: a program called ``Project School Readiness,'' a partnership of local day care centers and the school.
``In the beginning, we put our ideas on paper, outlined what our project would be and got permission from Dr. (Beverly) Cox, the school superintendent,'' said Wells, project chairperson. ``He thought it was a great idea.''
Last May, an explanatory letter and survey were mailed to centers.
``We wanted to know what they wanted to know,'' Wells said. ``They wanted information for hands-on math activities and language skills.''
In June, a workshop at Booker T. attracted teachers from East End and Metropolitan Baptist churches, Hosanna and Youngland day care centers, and Head Start in Suffolk and Isle of Wight County.
``We gave them ideas we use on a day-to-day basis,'' Wells said. ``We got to know them. We wanted to know what it would be like to spend a day in day care.''
At a make-and-take workshop last fall, 22 day care teachers traced patterns for environmental signs and pictures that help children learn.
``They took things off walls and copied them,'' Wells said. ``They copied shapes, numerals, and nursery rhyme pictures. They also wrote down bulletin board ideas and calendar boards. We've been very dependent on each other and hope to have another workshop in the spring.''
Although it is too soon to see a difference, Wells said, feedback from the day care teachers seems to indicate they are teaching differently.
``We expect to know by next fall if we should continue to keep charts and if the project is paying off,'' Wells said. ``The best aspect is communication - being able to learn together and getting ideas from each other. We don't want to be critical, but we want to be available, if help is needed.''
One local day care has already adopted program lessons and teaching materials used by the public schools, Wells said.
Wells, a native of Camden, N.J., grew up in Cherry Hill, N.J. She moved with her family to Virginia Beach a week after graduating from high school. The next fall, she entered James Madison University. She received a bachelor's degree in early childhood education in 1991.
``My kindergarten teacher was my inspiration,'' Wells said. ``She was always happy and made going to school so much fun.''
After teaching second grade at First Flight Elementary School in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Wells got married, moved to Portsmouth, and began teaching at Booker T. last year. Her husband, Ronald Wells, is a physical education teacher at Great Bridge Middle School South in Chesapeake.
On March 9, Wells and a day care representative plan to give the School Board a report on ``Project School Readiness.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Kindergarten teacher Barbara Wells is chairperson of ``Project
School Readiness,'' a partnership of day care centers and Booker
T. Washington Elementary School. The goal is to prepare the children
better for school.
by CNB