TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It was three-year-old Dean’s first day at Climbing Tree Community School on Monday. He was learning about exotic animals and how to read.
His five-year-old brother Clark was in pre-k last year and is currently in kindergarten.
Their mom Keili Patton said because Clark was in preschool last year, his reading skills have improved.
“From him bringing me a book asking me to read to him, to him starting to sound words out and wanting to read,” Patton said.
However, Climbing Tree Community School isn’t just about academics.
Their director April Turner said they teach them social skills. She said putting kids into school before kindergarten helps them learn how to interact with their peers.
“They need to know how to share, take turns, work with the other students in the classroom,” Turner said.
Garrett Flora is a parent of the school and said he is already noticing a difference in his four-year-old Everett.
“The energy, the attitude, just everything. He gets some exposure here that he doesn’t get at home,” he said.
Sherrill Koogler, a local child and family therapist said when kids play with other kids at preschool, they learn how to deal with problems. She said they also learn how to get along, organize, express themselves, and how to speak to others.
Koogler said preschool also helps parents and teachers find any delays in a kids’ development so they can give them the support they need before kindergarten.
Turner said their smaller class sizes in preschool help teachers address the needs of students faster before they get to kindergarten.
Some parents like Natalia Fredlake said that helps students learn about independence.
“She has a little bit more freedom to make decisions and choices and see the consequences of those choices,” she said about her daughter in pre-k.
Fredlake said if any parents are hesitant to put their kid in pre-k, they should consider it.
“If you think that they’re going to do well and might benefit from a little bit of a head start, just go check it out,” she said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
