ABCs, 123s,
red, blue, green, and yellow! These are the least of skills one Kindergarten
teacher believes all children should know upon entering her class. “I would expect a student to know his name,
how to spell and recognize it, know the alphabet, letter names, numbers one to
ten, colors, and shapes,” stated D’
Angela Keys, a Kindergarten teacher with the Achievement School District. Kids are expected to know or to have had some
exposure to these skills when they enter kindergarten on day one. Bethanie Moore, a Pre-K teacher says “The
top three skills I most desire for my students to master prior to leaving my
classroom are counting to 30 or more using one to one correspondence,
recognizing all letters of the alphabet and their sounds, and writing
independently.” However, that is not the case for many students. Keys has found
herself spending great amounts of time on name recognition and spelling and
alphabet recognition and sounds with many of her kindergarteners.
100% of the
students in Keys class are growing up in poverty. This means academically the odds are against
them because they may not have had access to resources needed to develop a
solid foundation to be successful learners.
Growing up in poverty means families may have to worry about basic
necessities for survival including housing, meals, and healthcare. This may
cause families, though not intentionally, to neglect providing a child with the
skills needed to progress as successful learners. In the early stages of life,
children need to be exposed to reading and to books. They need to be talked to which helps
increase their vocabulary. They need to
interact with peers to develop social skills. Children that do not have these
experiences risk entering kindergarten with social, behavior, and academic
deficits causing them to fall behind their more affluent peers; thus, widening
the achievement gap.
When a child
enters Kindergarten lacking the necessary skills to be successful, it becomes difficult
to move him or her forward. When a
teacher gets a child who cannot express himself or herself because of limited
vocabulary or a child that does not know how to follow directions or positively
interact with his or her peers, it affects her ability to teach the
kindergarten curriculum because she has to help build the foundation that
should have been built before entering kindergarten. Ms. Keys stated that she notices a
difference between students who have had access to some type of quality pre- kindergarten
experience and those that have not. “If the student attended an effective pre-k
program then there is a difference between him or her and the students that did
not. I also saw more success with
students who had parents that really invested a lot of time and energy into
their child’s future,” says Keys. From my experience, students that have
positive developmental experiences have a higher vocabulary, are more able to
follow directions, are more confident, and have the ability to soar high. I worry about students that are behind. They have a higher chance of being referred
to special education, performing low on achievement tests, and falling further
and further behind which could lead to dropping out of high school.
I remember
explaining to a voter why she should support a sales tax increase that would
provide funds for children in Memphis to attend Pre-K that otherwise cannot. I
told her to view it as an investment in public education in our city. I assured her that she would much rather pay
a little extra in taxes now to provide an underprivileged child with a quality
education than to pay for it later when she’s paying for that child to receive
public benefits or if she happens to be a victim of a criminal act committed by
that child. It is important for
citizens to understand that education helps eradicate poverty and if we invest
in pre-k we are implementing a preventative measure. This preventative measure will work toward
providing opportunities and resources to our children that will ameliorate their
future living conditions. Investing in
Pre-K will help close the achievement gap, increase the graduation rate, create
productive citizens, and make Memphis a city where all children have access to
a quality education. We must be pro-active
and not reactive. We must be exponents
for our children and do what is necessary to ensure that they receive a quality
education beginning with an effective Pre-K program and ending with a high
school diploma, prepared for and with access to a higher education
institution. I encourage you to reach
out in our community and determine how you can become a zealot for universal
Pre-K programs in Shelby County. Below
are quotes directly from Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers explaining the
importance of a quality pre-kindergarten program.
“Students
who are given the advantage of attending a Pre-K program develop much needed
emotional, academic, and social skills they may otherwise lack when entering
kindergarten. Students who develop self-regulation skills gain confidence as
they master academic concepts, and learn to cooperate with their peers in Pre-K
will be far better prepared to enter Kindergarten. This is particularly true for students who
are already at a disadvantage in any or all of these areas which is often the
case with the current optional Pre-K system.” Bethanie Moore, Achievement School District, Memphis, TN.
“Pre-K is so
so important because this early in the game, students’ brains are SPONGY. They’re ready to soak up all you have to
offer and you get a fresh start with kids and are able to foster a love for
school and learning. Everyone should have access to Pre-K. It makes all the difference in a child’s
education.” Meagan Fowler, Achievement
School District, Memphis TN.
“Pre-K is
important because it provides a great foundation for kindergarten, It also exposes children to an educational
environment. Many students need that
extra year to become accustomed to a classroom and learn how to play with other
children. Pre-K gives children a chance to develop and grow while also learning
skills needed to be successful for the rest of their lives.” D’ Angela Keys, Achievement School
District, Memphis, TN.
Tamera Malone has
been a teacher in Memphis for five years. She taught high school special
education for the last four years in Shelby County Schools. Tamera currently works as a Lead Education
Specialist for Aspire Public Schools in the Achievement School District at
Hanley Elementary. Tamera can be
contacted at tamera.malone@gmail.com.
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