
DATE: Friday, May 9, 1997                   TAG: 9705080544

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Education 

SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  115 lines

TEACHING TEENS TO TEACH CHILDREN A THE DEMAND FOR CHILD CARE GROWS, HIGH SCHOOLS ARE RESPONDING BY OFFERING CLASSES THAT GIVE STUDENTS THE TOOLS THEY NEED AND OFTEN INSPIRE THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

The tools of this classroom may seem too elementary for high school students: finger paints, Crayolas, ABC books and construction paper.

The lesson for the students at the P.D. Pruden Vocational-Technical Center in Suffolk is one that society is placing more and more value upon: Teaching preschoolers to learn.

That's because a growing number of parents are in the market for child care. The number of working mothers is rising, with 60 percent of women with children under age 6 now a part of the labor force. Also, fewer parents live near extended families than they used to, creating a need for child care outside the family. Another, more recent, driving force to higher child-care enrollments is welfare reform, set to go into effect in South Hampton Roads in October, when thousands of women will be expected to enter the work force.

The demand for well-trained child-care workers is also on the rise. Studies old and new are pointing out just how critical early childhood years are in the long-term success of children.

``More and more, parents are looking for people who will care for their children socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually,'' said Joyce Harris, who directs a child-care occupation course at Norfolk Technical Vocational Center. ``They want their children to be prepared for kindergarten.''

But the child-care field is a low-paying one. Consider that the average pay of child-care employees at centers across the nation is $6.89 an hour, according to an April 1995 study by the University of Colorado. The low pay means people can often get jobs in the field with little experience and training.

That's why child-care classes in area vocational education programs play an important role. Not only do the classes educate students on child-care basics, they also inspire many students to pursue higher education in the field.

And that education, in turn, can help improve the over-all quality of a center. A recent study by the National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force has found that skilled teachers are more likely to stay in jobs if they work with others who are well trained, and earn higher-than-average wages.

The idea behind the high school vocational classes is to educate students on the basics of child care to prepare them for jobs in the day-care field when they graduate from high school. Or, to give them a foundation in pursuing careers in early childhood development at community colleges or universities.

Rather than just read textbooks on early childhood development, high school students are teaching preschoolers in real-life child-care settings in vocational programs in Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake.

This is the second school year that the Pruden Center has offered the child-care classes for Suffolk and Isle of Wight students. ``Any time we consider a new vocational offering, we look at what the job market is for that kind of work,'' said Peggy Wade, director of the Pruden Vo-Tech center. ``It didn't take long for us to find the need for quality child-care workers was obvious.''

The vocational programs instruct students on physical safety issues, the developmental stages of children, discipline techniques, how to teach children their ABCs and simple math concepts.

Harris said the interest of high school students in the child-care field has increased during the 22 years it's been offered in Norfolk. Most of her students continue their education in early childhood development at the community college or university level. Some are interested in careers related to children, such as pediatrics. Others get jobs in child-care settings right out of high school.

``I tell them that even if they don't go into the day-care business this makes you a better parent,'' Harris said.

Elizabeth Thomas, who directs the child-care course for Virginia Beach schools, said the classes are also very popular with students who want to become elementary school teachers. ``Most of my students are college bound,'' she said.

Seventeen-year-old Brandy Scribner, one of the child-care students at Pruden, said the classes have helped her learn safety and development basics and also given her hands-on experience.

``It lets you know what you're in for,'' she said.

So far, she likes what she sees. She also works after school at the Main Street Day Care in Suffolk.

Even though jobs in the child-care field are traditionally low paying, Scribner said the nature of the work makes up for that. ``I know it's not a big-paying job. If I were looking for something with a lot of money, I probably wouldn't be in child care. But I like working with kids.''

In one of the preschool classes, Brandy helps 4-year-old Jerry Warren paint an Easter egg.

``I want purple,'' Jerry says, flourishing his paint brush in the air.

``OK, put the green back first, and we'll switch them out,'' Brandy tells Jerry.

Karen Colston, who owns the Great Bridge Child Care centers in Chesapeake, said the vocational classes help prepare employees for the real world of child care.

``It's very beneficial,'' Colston said. ``Besides giving them the experience, it helps encourage them to continue their education at the college level.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by John Sheally

Michelle Lowell reads to Simone Green-Center, left, and Yasmine

Butts at P.D. Pruden Vocational-Technical Center in Suffolk.

Rachel Bartholf entertains with the book ... at the Norfolk

Technical Vocational Center.

Brandy Scribner, right, a student at Pruden

Graphic

LEARNING CHILD CARE

High school students in early childhood development classes:

Chesapeake: 33

Norfolk: 34

Portsmouth: No program available

Suffolk and Isle of Wight: 35