Building Blocks
Being 4 years old can be tricky. You're too tall for high chairs, too short for carnival rides and too young to go to school. But there is a place where you could fit right in: preschool.
“It's the foundation,” said Elisa Spadafora, Butler County Children's Center CEO. “It really helps the child with socialization.”
At Butler County Children's Center, children transitioning from infancy or toddlerhood to preschool and from preschool to kindergarten learn play tactics and the manners they need to sit in class or participate at home.
They also learn “integration” by sharing with other children, interacting with instructors and seeing students learning on different levels.
“We're really giving them skills that they're going to need,” Spadafora said. “You're really looking at that development stage.”According to Spadafora, the nonprofit applies educational research and “learning through play” to develop classroom skills. Different “centers” teach kids different things. For instance, playing with building blocks helps with math and reasoning skills.Technology is another part of preparing for school. Preschool students at Butler County Children's Center have access to iPads.“We try to incorporate that when we can,” Spadafora said.She clarified that iPads are used to teach — not occupy — children.Lifesteps in Butler also uses technology, though screen time is limited.“It's so important to have that face-to-face time,” said Stacy Slater, vice president of Lifesteps. The nonprofit is based at 383 New Castle Road.
Lifesteps recognizes today's preschooler is different from a preschooler 10 years ago.“I think it's just social evolution that we're seeing,” Slater said. “We just continue to evolve with the way society evolves.”Offering half- and full-day preschool for children with different learning levels, Lifesteps focuses on generating healthy self-esteem and independence. Every child is different and Lifesteps strives to embrace that, she said. Students have access to a free developmental screening when they enter the Lifesteps program.“We take what they know and we use that as an asset,” Slater said. “We're meeting the children where they're at.”Family is a major part in the success of students preparing for school. Parents are responsible for a child's learning and must be willing to ask questions, share information and teach outside the classroom, Spadafora said.
“We encourage them to be as involved as possible,” she said.Spadafora noted classrooms at the Butler County Children's Center “far exceed” Pennsylvania's minimum student-teacher radio. Children are assessed while completing the preschool program. Their developmental improvement — both academic and social — are analyzed with identifiers that let teachers and parents see where a child is in the learning process.“We want the children to succeed,” Spadafora said.Lifesteps reviews each child's development three times during the school year. Teachers also conduct weekly lesson plan reflections to make sure students are learning.“We know that we are a pivotal part of the pre-K to third-grade continuum,” Slater said.
To find out about these two nonprofit organizations that provide preschool programs:Butler County Children’s Center has rolling enrollment for its full-day preschool program. Information can be found online at www.bcccinc.org or by calling 724-287-2761. The center has programs in 10 sites throughout Butler County.Lifesteps has rolling enrollment for all preschool options. Learn more at www.lifesteps.net or by calling 800-225-2010. The program center in Butler County and central office is at 383 New Castle Road. Lifesteps also operates the Armstrong County Preschool in Kittanning and Beaver County Program Center in Beaver.
