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Show Construction workshop transformed j bsteadof the familiar sounds of saws ra:ag boards, hammers pounding. paiEg. drilling and sanding, a new SEd can be heard as you pass by. Now yw n hear children playing, giggling. Uiag. dancing and karate sounds. A building formerly used for constructs!! construc-ts!! full of tables, saws and other equip-tat. equip-tat. in a matter of time and effort was teformed into a building for children ss 3 to 5 as a preschool and a place for eercising. dancing and other forms of art. fte Hey Diddle Preschool in Davis tesme a finished creation in November t since that time, the new sounds of piren, dancing and karate can be Beard. freschools are becoming very War . Many of them are being held in teacher's own home. Linda Mon-femerj- began this particular preschool home, also. From there they mov-"'J mov-"'J the spa and then to the construction torehop in Davis. Sauna Smuin, who taught dance i fcruWOrked wUh Linda and ne'P I ctl her Masses. For the past four months she has taken over her classes and is now teaching the preschool. The children work with the basic skills. They learn their ABC's, how to count, the different colors, what they are and how-to how-to recognize them, and the different shapes, what they are and how to recognize them. The children do worksheets to practice what they are learning. They have activity activi-ty time to play with other children and learn how to get along with them. They also have craft time where they learn to use their motor skills with such activities as pasting and using scissors. Each day the children are in class they leave with something to take home to show their parents the progress they are making in class. The parents are also able to see what their child is being taught. "I think it gets them away from their moms before they have to go to school." said Mrs. Smuin. "It helps them get along with other kids." Mrs. Smuin said, "It really changes them and gets them ready. I think it's '"" ' '"" """"" " '"" " 1 4 i j v.' " J'Af. ' ' mp n EY RAUB follows the lines on a worksheet he received dur-' dur-' wh,rhresch01- The children take homp worksheets each day cn show their parents the progress they are making. almost vital. If they don't it's hard for them to go to school." Mrs. Smuin said having the child attend at-tend preschool is one way of helping to detect if the child has a problem and if he w ill be ready to go to school when he is old enough. If he needs special help, she said they are able to detect this and obtain the help they need earlier. The children meet two hours on Mondays, Mon-days, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. Mrs. Smuin said other children can join at any time because to go over and over the same things to help the children learn their basic skills. Only one student has had to have his mother come in and stay with him, said Mrs. Smuin. Usually the mothers come and drop them off and leave. It takes them a time or two to get used to being left there. "Almost all of the kids have cried at least once," she said. The mothers feel the preschools are important for their children, said Mrs. Smuin. She said she has had a lot of mothers come up to her and say they can't find a preschool. However, preschools have become very popular in this area and there are a number of which to choose from. Mrs. Smuin said some people like a particular preschool whereas someone else may not like that one. With the numerous amount available, parents are able to find the one which best fits their needs. "When we started I thought it would be more of a babysitting job." said Mrs. Smuin. After being involved in it. she has different feelings than before. Most preschools have the three month vacation during the summer time like the regular schools. This particular preschool will continue throughout the summer. Mrs. Smuin said they take a month off when she feels the children are getting tired of school. The month of February' they took off due to this reason. She said there will probably be one month they will also take off during the summer. I j J ' ' " I-- 1 .. ) L ..; PLAY TIME is an important part of the preschool. The children are given time to play together and to learn how to get along with the other children. - - - .... ... . ..... , v-' I i - - - - ! - t L ' " ,M '-"t'',""'1 KELINN MONTGOMERY follows the dots to make a teddy bear. The children are also taught how to write their own name so they can write it on their papers. |