New program aims to spark preschool progress

By Denise Dick

denise_dick@vindy.com

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A new program for parents of children entering Taft and Williamson elementary schools will give those youths an early start and prepare them for kindergarten.

SPARK — Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids — is operated by D&E Counseling Center, Austintown, with a grant from the Raymond John Wean Foundation.

“Through the SPARK program, we hope to show parents how they can best help their child be ready to start kindergarten with the fundamental skills needed to academically succeed and to find the classroom a positive place they want to be in,” said Gregory Cvetkovic, D&E executive director.

The program has been in place in Warren for two years.

It is free and available to preschool students and their families who will be attending Taft or Williamson elementary schools next school year.

“Taft and Williamson have the most academic challenges right now,” said Claudia Charity, manager of community partnerships for the city schools.

Superintendent Connie Hathorn said the district welcomes the program with open arms.

“When I was interviewed for the job, the board asked me, ‘How are you going to close the achievement gap?’” Hathorn said. “My answer was, ‘Don’t create one.’”

SPARK aims at establishing a level playing field for children entering kindergarten, officials said.

Those enrolled in the program get monthly visits to their homes from parent partners who will work on activities and lessons aimed at developing social and academic skills.

The program includes 26 preschoolers who will attend either of the two elementary schools this fall.

Cvetkovic said a recent study by a Harvard economist “found that students who had learned much more in kindergarten were more likely to go to college, less likely to be single parents, more likely to be saving money and were earning more.”

Felicia Fuller and Celestine Mayo are parent partners with the program and say the response has been positive.

Fuller said they work with the parents and children and try to teach parents how to help their children.

Mayo said it’s gratifying to see parents blossom as they learn how to help their children.

“You can tell it’s the first time they’ve engaged with the children on that level,” she said.

The program is funded by the Wean Foundation through a three-year, $575,000 grant.