Local Schools Highlight Importance of Early Childhood Education
SARTELL -- There is a national movement happening this week to celebrate early childhood education.
The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Julia Bjerke is the Early Childhood Coordinator at Oak Ridge. She says the purpose of this week is to bring attention to families about the programs and services provided to set up children for long term success in school.
Families will really have an idea of what a school day will look like. The kids will also learn that collaborative play and how to get along in a classroom setting and following routines. All these things are beneficial for preparing children for kindergarten.
Bjerke with their preschool and kindergarten students now under one roof, it's really helped them better develop their Kindergarten Readiness program.
The students who come here in preschool learn about the school environment before they transition to kindergarten. They are building relationships with the staff and learning the routines of how we do school.
She says they did see a drop in enrollment this year due to the pandemic, but they hope to be near normal capacity next year and expect to continue to grow in the future.
Oak Ridge Early Learning Center is currently enrolling students for their preschool and kindergarten programs for this fall.