Early childhood influences shape the adult to come
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 presents this wisdom to each of us so that all we have to do is adopt it and search for opportunities to share with children in our community. Fortunately for us there are many programs in Rome and Floyd County that already are working on fulfilling this scripture.
The headline of Thursday’s newspaper “ASPIRE to change the world” did what headlines are supposed to do and caught my attention. I hope it caught yours as well. ASPIRE is a new afterschool program at West Central, Anna K. Davie, North Heights and Elm Street elementary schools. It focuses on developing the growth of students in academics and on a personal level.
Stephanie Dean, a fifth-grade teacher and site coordinator, is working with 56 students and hopes to pour into each one the skills and behaviors they will need to become better students. The idea is that by starting now the lessons taught will be retained for life. Dean said the “main focus is to teach the whole child and educate them on how to think rather than what to think.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good common sense class. That’s something we seem to be short on today, and will certainly help these kids grow into citizens capable of leading this community.
Another program showing great results in preparing students is South Rome Early Learning Center at Anna K. Davie Elementary. This program is designed to give 3-year-olds a jump-start to their education. Berry College, South Rome Redevelopment Corp. and Rome City Schools partner to offer opportunities for family involvement. Teri Oberg, director, said the SRELC is a place where parents can be assured of the very best beginning for their children. She commented that not only is the pre-school experience strengthened, it lays the foundation for years of learning.
Today’s students face a future of continual technological changes. New technology is being introduced at a rapid pace. Students of all ages must possess the ability and skills required to adapt quickly to the coming changes. Those 3-year-olds and their parents are being prepared for lifelong learning. The parents of these children are encouraged to become involved and thereby have opportunities to improve their educational skills. You know where I am going with this. As the parent learns and is more able to offer help with homework, the confidence of the entire household can’t help but be strengthened. Someone once told me that success breeds success.
Consider the results of the children in the SRELC first class. Eighteen 3-year-olds met the benchmarks in communication, language and literacy and will be moving to Pre-4K classrooms on track for early reading. The parents were also involved and participated in many of the parent-involvement activities. The parents now feel comfortable talking with teachers and visiting the classrooms.
This community is blessed to have educators who believe in giving all students a good start. We are also fortunate that we have local educators who are willing to educate children in their own environment.
Proverbs 22:6 very clearly defines our role.