The Importance of Early Intervention and Child Care from a Teacher's Perspective

Teaching Pre-k has been a rewarding career for me, sprinkled with heartbreak and empathy. I teach in a state-funded income based program similar to Head Start, but with a higher income range. Most of the children have been at home with relatives or served in low quality child care settings. My program is also inclusive, so I serve children with special needs too. Therapists are a welcome site in my classroom! My job is to prepare them for kindergarten. My classroom routine is extremely important and we do not deter from it unless extreme situations. Most of the students come into the classroom a little behind, just simply from not being exposed to age-appropriate materials or the correct stimulation. They sat in front of the tv at home and paper and pencil were not a hot commodity! I meet with the parents at an orientation the first day and explain the benefits of my program, which include free vision, hearing, dental and developmental screenings.

Reporting back the findings after a screening can be a daunting task for a teacher, especially when a child has a suspected delay developmentally. Reporting the findings for the vision, hearing and dental are not so bad for the teacher or parent, but it's when we hit those developmental delays that parents sometimes "freak out" and understandably so. No one likes to hear that their child could be "different" or not typically developing. The reactions from parents have been from one extreme to another: some have been very receptive while other choose to ignore or deny the findings. I do point out to the parents that they have the choice to accept or refuse services, but I explain the benefits of choosing to accept services. If we can begin working on whatever delay we see, whether it be speech or cognitive, there is a possibility that the child could receive therapy for a year and the delay could be alleviated before they reach kindergarten. While this is a possibilty for many of my students who experience speech delays, I always have a couple who have extreme needs that we know will need therapy for years to come. Two years ago, I had a child come into my classroom after having a bad "daycare experience" which lasted about two weeks before his mother pulled him out and placed him in my room. She explained that he cried everyday, all day long at the school. When I first met the child, he was extremely withdrawn, sucking on his finger and holding onto his Mom for dear life. His first day, he let go of her and came into the classroom and never cried, but I knew something was up with him. He never spoke! He rocked back and forth while on the carpet and would nod his head to answer you, but he spoke two words the whole school year. As soon as he climbed into his mother's van in the afternoon he began chattering away. The child received therapy while in my classroom and this, consequently carried over into public school. Since the mother had never seen him outside the home environment before my classroom, I guess she didn't realize this issue he had. I researched online and came up with a diagnosis of selective mutism. This disorder is kind of like a social anxiety. I approached the mother about it and she was receptive, but mentioned to me that she had never discussed his behaviors with a pediatrician. I encouraged her to do so, explaining that I was certainly not qualified to diagnose her son, but I wanted to help in any way I could. I encouraged her to visit the website that I had found and gave her handouts. While she may not ever take my advice, atleast I know he received a year's worth of intervention thanks to my program. What a difference a year can make!

Even for typically developing children, that year before kindergarten is extremely important. Laying the foundation for their future education is vital. I believe if a child has a positive first experience in education, this can affect their perspective throughout their years in school. The social benefits are astouding. Learning to deal with peers who are on your grade level is important for all children, but especially for children who have been at home with Mom and older or younger siblings, or those who are an only child. I have seen children learn to stand up for themselves and I have seen children learn to compromise, both important tools socially. Self-help skills are a major issue in my classroom. The first day I let the children know they will be performing all tasks themselves, such as cleaning up after lunch, collecting their own milk and utensils and washing hands on their own. We are always there for guidance, but its funny to see the parents' reactions when they realize their child can button their own pants, put on their own coat and throw away their plate after lunch. These things are expected of children when entering kindergarten. Besides the social aspect, the educational aspect is equally important. Learning through play is the way to go at this age. Building a child's attention span is important and happens slowly, believe me! I have some who were unable to sit for two minutes at the beginning of the year and getting to five minutes is monumental. While many children may be exposed to these educational tools at home, there are still millions who are not. That's why high quality childcare and Pre-k is so important.

The reality is that kindergarten is not just a social preface to elementary school. Children are learning sight words and writing sentences now, not just sewing mittens and learning numbers or letters, which is another benchmark many kindergarten teachers hope their students come in knowing. Parents may choose to keep their children at home with them, which has its benefits too. If you are lucky enough to have the resources financially to keep your child at home with you please remember to stimulate their brains daily with activities, songs and plenty of books! If you do suspect your child has a delay in their speech or otherwise, please consult your physician who can supply you with a list of resources. Let's make sure we make those first years of life full of fun and learning!