43
United Way program for preschoolers wraps up in Boardman
BOARDMAN
The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley’s Success By 6 program will wrap up for the summer Thursday, after four weeks spent preparing preschoolers for the transition to kindergarten.
The program, in which Stadium Drive and West Boulevard elementary schools participate, aims to help students improve in math and literacy, as well as prepare them to start school.
Stadium Drive Principal Jim Goske and teachers had only positive things to say about Success By 6, saying it has drastically improved the preschool to kindergarten transition for the students enrolled in the program.
“On the first day when they get off the bus there is less anxiety because they know what to expect,” said Stadium Drive kindergarten teacher Tami Socie. “It stops some of the tears.”
“I can’t say enough good things about it. The biggest fear with younger kids is the unknown,” Goske said. “These kids become the leaders in kindergarten.”
Easing the transition to going to a new school is just one of several goals of the program.
Other goals include developing relationships with teachers, learning to adhere to a classroom structure, developing social skills and getting kids prepared in literacy and math, according to Kathy Mock, director of education and initiatives for the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
“Our vision with United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley is we want our children to be ready to go to school, and our area needs to be ready to prepare our children for success,” Mock said.
“And United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley is committed to devoting resources to programs that give children opportunity to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.”
The program, which started in 2009 in South Range and Campbell schools, now serves 18 school districts and a total of 42 units in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, with about 2,000 children having participated in the program over the past five years.
The program gives students tests before and after they participate in the program to determine their progress in math and literacy.
This year, 20 students were enrolled in the program at West Boulevard and 30 were enrolled at Stadium Drive.
“I think it’s a fantastic program. Developmentally, we see anything that is challenging them before they come in,” said Stadium Drive kindergarten teacher Missy Struharik.
Mock said United Way is always looking to expand the program further, and that this year’s program featured at least one improvement.
“We have partnered with OH WOW! [Center for Science & Technology] ... and we’ve had them go out and present to some of our districts,” Mock said.
Struharik said OH WOW! recently visited and did air and water experiments with Stadium Drive students, another component of what Struharik described as a “hands-on” approach to learning.
Struharik and Socie said the program at Stadium Drive, which has two units of 15 children, focuses on math, language arts, developing a routine, locating places around the school, using technology in the classroom, identifying letters and sounds, and nutrition.
“We’re very appreciative of the United Way for supporting the program and involving Boardman. We look forward to continuing the partnership for years to come, to keep helping our kids out,” Goske said.