FORT MONROE, Va. - Pre-kindergarten-aged youths at the Child Development Center (CDC) here are participating in a new program called "Strong Beginnings" that introduces them to skills they'll need when they enter the classroom.
A byproduct of the Army Family Covenant, Strong Beginnings will eventually be implemented at childcare centers Army-wide. The goal is to give military dependents in the system "the best possible learning experience in the Army community."
Strong Beginnings is a standardized system to ensure there is little or no disruption in the education of four-year-olds when they transfer with their parents and enter another Army childcare facility, according to Fort Monroe CDC Director Susanne Elsass.
"It is real 'intentional teaching.' In the past (Army leaders) stressed having our quality environment with all-around facilitated learning, but there wasn't as much focus," Elsass said.
"The children have always had free choice time. Now, when they choose an activity, there also will be a teacher-directed activity focusing on a specific skill. They are varied every day and give a balance of each different area of content."
Elsass said the precise teaching methods are transparent to the students. They probably think it is all fun and games. But during a year, teachers cover 82 objectives with each child. Approaches to Learning, Social/Emotional Development, Language and Literacy, and Mathematics are four of the Developmental/Content Areas under which the objectives are grouped. The others are Science and Technology, Social Studies, The Arts and Physical Development and Health.
CDCs receive kits that provide materials, books, games, and manipulative toys that are designed to support specific learning skills, such as those needed for early literacy, math and science. One day, the kids may string large and small, square and spherical beads in red, blue and yellow to help the youngsters distinguish among shapes, sizes and colors. The next day, their focus may be on spatial awareness, cognition and counting by using blocks or other materials to build boats, houses or any other structures they can imagine. Throughout CDCs across the Army, all the Strong Beginnings children will be provided with similar types of learning experiences, Elsass said.
Even the furniture is standardized. Small square tables are recommended by the proponents of the program so the teacher can give attention to a group of only two or three children at a time. Because this furniture is light weight it is easy to rearrange to support a variety of uses.
In addition, the children cover one month-long focus area. In September, the focus area was boxes, October was rocks and November is all about ants. The tykes have participated in field trips to places like the Post Exchange to note things that go into boxes, what becomes of them and how to make a family photo box, for example.
They examined many types of rocks and even made some of their own. Recently, they spent time outside looking for ants to colonize a farm located in their classroom.
These types of activities help the youngsters become more cognizant of their surroundings as they learn, and it helps broaden their perspectives, Elsass said.
"Blocks are supposed to help the children with learning early math skills like counting, measuring or sorting. If you just turn the children loose in the center with the blocks, they can have a great time but they won't necessarily pick up new skills. The teachers help them focus on the materials in ways that encourage learning. Along with the materials, we ask open-ended questions which get them to think more about what they are doing and to explore more with the item of their choice," Elsass said.
In this program, teachers who are well prepared to work in the classroom are desired, Elsass noted. So, Army leaders have requirements that go beyond those of typical childcare workers. At a minimum, they must have a Child Development Associate Professional credential or an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education.
"Our two Strong Beginnings teachers, Gloria Upshaw and Michelle Hurlock, are as enthusiastic about this new program as the children and parents are," Elsass said.
"We are the facilitators; we prime the pump to get what's in there to come out," Upshaw said. "We introduce them to reading, writing and work with their opinions. They know a lot. We just give them the space to express themselves.
"I still remember a negative teacher when I was coming up who made disparaging comments like, 'I've got mine, you have yours to get,'" Upshaw added. "This shows me that the impact we can make on our kids lives is forever. That's why it's so important to get it right."
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