Early Childhood Education Makes an Earlier Start in Spring ISD with New PreK-3 Program
Pre-Kindergarten programs at Spring ISD have proved so successful that the district is beginning a pilot program for a Pre-K class that’s dedicated to 3-year-olds.
When Spring administrators introduced the opportunity to the public, Parent Alyssa McCool didn’t hesitate.
“I was super excited, I jumped on it right as soon as it popped up, and so did all my friends, we were like, go for it! We were just very very excited,” McCool said.
McCool’s son, Jaxson, can look forward to a variety of experiences that builds an important educational foundation, said Jennifer Bassett, Pre-K Program Coordinator for Spring ISD.
“The curriculum is Frog Street 3 and it is really based on play and exploration, so it’s a lot of exploration and building vocabulary activities. That really translates to their oral language development, which helps with reading and writing development,” Bassett said.
The district is initially offering the 3-year-old pre-k program only at three campuses as a pilot program for the 2024-25 school year. Bassett said that district administrators will study the implementation this year, evaluate how to make it the best it can be and then potentially expand it from there.
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The campuses that will be hosting the program are Lewis, McNabb and Winship elementary schools. The available slots at all of the campuses were filled to capacity very quickly.
Principal Melissa Warford at McNabb Elementary said she was surprised that their PK3 classroom filled up so fast, but said that it reflects how important early childhood education is to the parents here in Spring. She said that she was extremely excited that McNabb was selected as one of the pilot campuses for this early childhood learning opportunity.
Alyssa McCool is hopeful that the program will give her son the opportunity to make some new friends and grow his language skills that will help to prepare him for the next grade.
“I think it will help him because he is at that age where he is learning and he wants to learn more and the environment there will help him,” McCool said.
Basset said that that’s just what the program is trying to achieve, adding, “It just helps them have a smooth transition into school. Kids really want to be a part of something and they really want to explore and our program is perfect for that.”
Source: Spring ISD
