Putnam County School System now taking applications for its Pre-K program.
Pre-K-4th Grade Instructional Supervisor Dr. Diana Wood said that the program can give a huge leg up to children before they start kindergarten.
“Throughout the day they will be exposed to literacy instruction, math instruction, they’ll have times of centers, learning centers, they’ll have free play,” Wood said. “They also spend quite a bit of time working on developing language, speaking in complete sentences, and things like that.”
Wood said that although it prepares them for kindergarten, the programming is age-appropriate. She said that they aren’t pushing to be readers before they’re ready, but rather focusing on the development of their skills.
Wood said that they are focusing on exposure to sounds and sound manipulation to help them become better students.
“They’re really experiencing those and manipulating those and talking and listening and doing some shared writing, those kinds of things,” Wood said. “And as they pick up, and you know you they do–they’re sponges, as they pick up those skills, then they’re going to be ready for kindergarten.”
Communications Supervisor Hannah Davis said that applications for Pre-K will be available at all Putnam County elementary schools as well as the school system’s central office. Davis said that applications remain open as the system places students as openings are available throughout the year.