Pre-K

Over the last 25-years there has been an explosion of growth in one area of Education.. Pre-Kindergarten. It's an industry designed to prepare the very young for mainstream education.

Tonight.. In Assignment: Education.. Bill Ratliff takes a look at the benefits of a Pre-K experience.

--[Teacher Carrie Cawthon sings:] "Friends. Friends. 1,2,3. All my friends are here with me.."

And so begins a story time session for these four and five-year-olds at Bright Horizons Learning Center in North Tampa.

--[Cawthon says:] "Alright, you have your listening ears on? [Kids off-camera say:] "Yes."[Cawthon says:] "You ready to listen?"--

Story time in this Pre-Kindergarten class.. and Pre-K classes around the country.. carries with it lessons. On this day it's "The Wind".. as part of a introduction to the concept of Nature. This educational approach in a day care setting has taken the country by storm. The director of Bright Horizons says Pre-K programs are simply the result of parental demand.

--[Liza Ayotte says:] "They're concerned the child is not going to know enough or have the skills when they get into school."--

And those skills include socialization with other children.. being able to work with teachers.. learning to share. One way teacher Carrie Cawthon develops "sharing skills" in her students is by having them bring something from home and tell the class about. Matthew had toys from Sea World. He told the class about his trip.

--[Matthew says:] "..And I was closer the bench. He didn't splash me.[Cawthon asks:] "Did you have fun?" Thank you Matthew."--

But the question is.. do Pre-K experiences really prepare a child for Kindergarten? Susan Avery is the supervisor of Early Childhood and Kindergarten classes at Pizzo Elementary, in Tampa. She says Pre-K does give children an advantage.. especially if they've been read to alot.

--[Susan Avery says:] "The research is strong saying children who have been read to do better.. early success in reading.. in school."--

Cawthon says Pre-K is really about building the confidence of children.. letting them know they can do it. Bill Ratliff, Newschannel 8.

This article was brought to you
straight from the desk of

in the Newsroom of