Dedicated teachers engage youngest learners online
There is never a dull moment in virtual Pre-K. Just ask Kristen Medeiros, a Pre-K teacher at Pearcy STEM Academy.
“You still have to be fast paced and engaging,” Medeiros said about teaching Pre-K online. “You still build those connections with your students. It’s important to know them so you can incorporate their interests and keep them engaged.”
While everyone would prefer to have Pre-K in person at school, online Pre-K is a great option for many during Covid-19. Whether in-person or online, Arlington ISD is committed to giving its youngest learners an engaging, meaningful Pre-K experience.
“I am very proud of our remarkable early childhood program and our amazing group of teachers who are going above and beyond in this very difficult time,” said Dr. Jackeline Orsini, Arlington ISD director of early childhood learning. “Our Pre-K students – either learning in school or from home – are already showing development in gross and fine motor skills, vocabulary, oral language and early writing concepts.”
While the virtual classroom is not what any parents envisioned for their children, with the support and creativity of dedicated teachers like Medeiros, it’s a fun and engaging educational experience for three- and four-year-olds. They still get to sing, explore, play games and interact with their teacher and friends. And they are learning.
“Our Pre-K students are blending syllables into words, learning how to recognize rhyming words and even using information learned from books to retell, describe, categorize, compare and contrast,” Orsini said.
Parents have recognized the impact of the program on their children.
“They see how their little ones interact with other kids, how excited they get when it’s time to meet their teachers and other children and the opportunity to do something fun every day,” Orsini said.
Princess Ayeni, a Pre-K parent whose daughter is in Medeiros’ class, agrees. She knows her daughter likes virtual Pre-K because she always asks to login to her Zoom class when she sees her older brother in his Zoom classes.
“Some of her favorite activities are learning syllables by clapping, the rhyming words and their hello song where she dances,” Ayeni said about her daughter’s virtual Pre-K. “She’s definitely learning as we can see improvement in her being able to write and identify her letters and numbers, able to write her name and much more.”
“We believe virtual learning is worth it,” Ayeni said.
“This is an opportunity that every kid deserves,” Orsini said. “We are enrolling Pre-K students every day and parents who need more information about our remarkable program should not hesitate to call us today at (682) 867-9418 or send us an email to prekquestions@aisd.net.”
Read more about the Arlington ISD’s Pre-K programs and begin online registration here.