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Teens get handson preschool experience
By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer LARGO -- Five-year-old Olivia Debellis glanced at her partner, Sean McCarthy, 4, and glued red yarn on a construction paper circle. Meanwhile, her copper-haired partner glued brown yarn onto his replica of her.
Olivia squeezed heavy dollops of glue on the circle and pressed two tiny plastic eyeballs into place. "I think he needs more hair," said Marshall as she placed a couple extra shreds of yarn on the side of the Olivia's masterpiece. "Friends" was the theme last week at the Little Packers Preschool. The art project and all the other activities there were designed by Largo High students, who are taking an early childhood education class taught by Margy Kincaid. Kincaid has taught the high school students to incorporate learning into play. Three days a week, you'll find them sitting on the floor with a dozen preschoolers playing with blocks or puzzles, singing songs or leading writing exercises on the chalkboard or at a small table covered with laminated paper. Thirty-five Largo High students take part in the early childhood education program at Largo High. Each class is a 90-minute block. So halfway through the preschool, one high school class leaves as another takes charge. "I wanted to see if I wanted to be a teacher," said junior Jennifer Lee, 17. "This just shows me that I do." During their first semester of early childhood education, the students read Working with Young Children by Judy Herr and completed 40 hours of course work in introductory child care, behavioral observation and age appropriate activities. After they complete the course work, they meet Florida Department of Children and Families requirements to work in any state licensed day care, said Barbara Clare, supervisor of family and consumer sciences for Pinellas County schools. Kincaid, who also teaches child development and parenting classes, said book work is secondary to the hands-on lessons in the preschool. "They learn more in one week than they learn in six using a textbook," she said. At the beginning of each school year, students choose a theme for the preschool. This year's theme was Under the Sea, so the room was decorated with postcards of the ocean and construction paper fish, dolphins and sharks. They also choose weekly themes, colors, letters and numbers. During the semester, they choose activities, crafts and even snacks to go along with them. Last week, in addition to the art project, the teen teachers read Best Friends Sleep Over by Jacqueline Rogers and made a "friendly" snack stick man with a celery body, carrot appendages, a Ritz cracker head and raisin eyes. Each student has a weekly role as a teacher, planner, playground leader or host who escorts the children to the classroom and assists other teachers. In addition to planning lessons and activities, the students are responsible for monitoring the childrens' progress and keeping parents informed of their educational and social development. Tarpon Springs and Pinellas Park high schools offer the same program. Four high schools -- Countryside, Northeast, Osceola and East Lake -- offer day care programs for Pinellas County employees that provide similar training opportunities for the students. Sean's mother Sherri McCarthy said she enrolled her son because he was shy and she wanted to prepare him for school. "Now he chases the two little girls around the playground, so I guess he's not shy anymore," she said. Both Clare and Kincaid said the program can benefit high school students with different needs. It can prepare students who aren't planning to attend college for a job in child care or give students who want to pursue higher education a head start in their course work. Sophomore Laurel Bayly, 16, said the class taught her patience and prepared her to be a better parent down the road. And Marshall said she took the class because she loves kids. "As soon as they come in the door it's a rush of energy and it makes your day go so much better," she said. "You get to be a kid again." The Little Packers Preschool is registering students for next school year. Preschool classes run from 9 to 11:45 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $15 for registration and $15 dollars a week. For more information call the preschool at (727) 588-4907.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
