Randy Garrison

Hartselle Enquirer

Pre-K came to Crestline Elementary in August of this year. Alyson Blackmon, lead teacher and Amanda Smith, teacher assistant, have 19 four-year-olds in their class each day.

When you walk into the classroom one would expect chaos, but what you see is children learning in an organized manner and a group of well-behaved youngsters.

When it was time to go to lunch all of the children lined up as they were asked and stood quietly waiting on their teachers.

One of the goals of pre-k is to help the love of learning to last the students a lifetime.

F.E. Burleson is in its second year of pre-k and Barkley Bridge is also in its first year.

Data from pre-k shows that it helps the habits and things that are good and lessens the bad habits and things in the young students. You have fewer children entering special needs classes, higher attendance is shown and there are fewer discipline problems.

Students in pre-k should have higher achievement throughout their educational life. The students leaving pre-k will be school ready and prepared for kindergarten.

The children in this class were painting turkeys by putting paint on their hands and then pressing them onto a heavy piece of paper. Other students were building models from blocks and another student showed how well he could write his name on a dry erase board.

Tina Towers is the director of OSR (Office of School Readiness) and handles Pre-K for Hartselle City Schools.

The state of Alabama only funds a lead teacher and an assistant for school systems. Local funds are used for other costs associated with Pre-K. Funding is allocated through the office of school readiness.

A grant was received that will enable Barkley Bridge to add another class in January. They will be taking applications until Dec. 16.

There are currently 200 Pre-K classes in and around the state in public schools and also in head start schools funded by community action monies.