When Dawson holds the classroom door, he takes his job seriously. Assigned the “door holder” job for the week, Dawson strains to hold the door open as his classmates file out to the playground. Then, with staff help, he leans forward to peer back into the classroom to make sure all his classmates are out before letting it close. For this preschooler, being the door holder is an important responsibility.

Now in Futures’ 3-year-old classroom, Dawson is building on skills his family began practicing last year in Early Head Start (EHS).

His mom, Lynda, and their EHS home visitor, Shirley, worked together on goals like taking turns, sharing, and counting as part of a 0-3 curriculum. Dawson’s mom found opportunities in everyday routines to reinforce these lessons, like counting objects and fingers throughout the day. They also practiced calming breaths and phrases such as “stop, I don’t like that” to help him use his voice to show when something bothered him.

Those skills have carried over and are reinforced in preschool. Dawson follows classroom routines, helps carry food and knows the classroom commitments, including walking feet, helping hands and listening ears. When something upset him during his first few weeks, he sometimes withdrew. His teacher sees less of that as he settles in.

He is also making strides with his interactions with classmates. His favorite learning activity, puzzles, has become a helpful bridge. Noticing his knack for puzzles, his classmates sometimes ask him for help with theirs, giving him the chance to practice his social skills one-on-one.  

Books, songs, and the sandbox hold his interest, too. He answers questions during stories and puts new words like excavator to use while exploring his love of construction vehicles.

His mom feels he is doing well and loving school, especially his classroom jobs. His teacher sees a calm, kind student who willingly participates in classroom activities.

Dawson’s story shows how a parent’s efforts to prepare a child for preschool, coupled with the extra help EHS provides, can go a long way. Being a good counter, waiting for a turn, and taking calming breaths may seem like small steps. Together, they help a child adapt to new experiences, like preschool, and keep the door open for others.

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Futures Unlimited, Inc. is Sumner County’s premier early childhood program offering preschool, Early Head Start, Head Start preschool, special education and Pre-K services for children ages prenatal to 5. Research-based curriculum ties all program activities to cognitive outcomes. Full-day and half-day preschool options are available. School readiness checkpoints ensure children are progressing toward their next educational step. Programs involve and benefit the whole family. Futures helps families thrive! To find out more call 316.369.0256, email apply@futures-unlimited.org or visit www.futures-unlimited.org.