MOUNT VERNON – Preschool is much more than letters and numbers, shapes and colors. It’s also about learning to follow instructions, share, take turns and interact positively with others.
For some children among the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds – particularly the youngest – developing social skills can be a challenge.
Two teachers at the Knox Educational Service Center’s preschool campus in Mount Vernon have developed special programs designed to help those students.
Hayley Hardcastle offers socialization services outside the regular preschool routine.
Emma Steward, a registered behavior technician, has developed the Knox ESC Intervention Group, which provides a scheduled time throughout the week that gives a child additional time outside of the classroom setting to strengthen their individual skills.
Hardcastle said the free socialization program is intended for the very young.
“It’s primarily for 3-year-olds who need a stepping stone to school,” she said. “Because of COVID, many 3-year-olds socialized only with family. They had no interaction with other children outside their family. There can be a lot of separation anxiety.”
There are two 90-minute socialization classes on Tuesday, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, and one on Friday.
Hardcastle and Steward emphasized that children react in different ways, but most respond to “lots of modeling and repetition” as they overcome the isolation caused by the pandemic.
“We’re already seeing progress.They are becoming more comfortable with their teachers,” Hardcastle said.
Steward agreed.
“Most of the kids know the expectations now,” she said.
Parents can learn more about socialization by calling the preschool, located on the New Hope Early Education Center campus, at 740-393-6980.
Steward’s Intervention Group also is based at the Knox ESC preschool in Mount Vernon, but as a special education teacher, she also serves the ESC’s preschools at Centerburg, East Knox and Fredericktown, as well as private preschools in the county.
A child’s participation requires parental permission.
“Our format is to work on a child’s individual skills – paying attention, taking turns, etc. – usually with me and one other student,” Steward said. “If the goal is to learn turn-taking, we may have a larger group.”
Children are recommended for the intervention based on teachers’ reports or Steward’s class observations.
“A child who begins intervention – again, with his or her parents’ permission – will be assigned a time and day that does not interfere with regularly scheduled class time,” said Steward, who is studying for a master’s degree to become a board-certified behavioral analyst.
Parents with questions about the intervention group also may call the ESC preschool in Mount Vernon.
