Lorain Schools hosts session for preschool providers

LORAIN — It's all hands on deck to help Lorain's youngest students get ready for kindergarten, Lorain Schools' early childhood education staff said. The district hosted a networking and informational session for preschool providers in the city Monday, hoping to connect them to professional development and support services to increase access to high-quality early childhood education for the city's children. The district offers free preschool at all 10 of its elementary buildings and partners with several community-based preschool providers as well, said Alisha Pardon, Lorain Schools' associate director of preschool. "Preschool sets the foundation for their educational journey for the rest of their lives," she said. "And the more prepared they are to enter into the school-age years just sets them up for success — whether it's the kindergarten readiness assessment, the third-grade reading guarantee, there's tons of data around how important that early education is." Assistant Superintendent Ross May said about half the district's kindergartners attend preschool — whether in the district or at private providers — before setting foot in one of the district's elementary buildings. "It's a game-changer," May said of children attending preschool programs. "The brain is just so flexible and learns so quickly at that age, it's just vital." High-quality preschool programs can help students with socialization and motor skills, Pardon said. School isn't so much about teaching a 3- or 4-year-old how to spell or solve a math problems, but how to self-regulate their emotions and play with others their own age. In 2023 Lorain Schools began partnering with community preschool providers to offer resources and toolkits. Community Preschool support specialist Sandra de Rivero creates plastic tote bins full of lessons to drive early literacy and other skill sets for dozens of early childcare and preschool centers in the city. There are more than 90 providers in Lorain, including at Lorain Schools' 10 elementary buildings. During the past two years, de Rivero has worked with more than two-thirds of them. Supports range from offering cut-out flashcards with words in English and Spanish to helping develop sensory rooms or hands-on tools to help children decompress. "We are the boots on the ground, we are right there with them," de Rivero said. "I think that is what makes them feel comfortable being able to be in the classroom and learn and support them." De Rivero offers evening professional development to early childhood education providers with her next session coming up in early April. Mayor Jack Bradley agreed with the need to lay the foundation for lifelong learning in Lorain's littlest Titans. "I'm 75 years old and I took this job as the mayor, and I didn't realize how much I didn't know," he said. "And for me, it's been a learning experience every single day … So if we can instill in our young people that this is a journey, (it) just becomes more and more exciting every day to be involved in this journey of learning." For more information on Lorain Schools' preschool programs and supports available for community providers, visit lorainschools.org or contact De Rivero at sderivero@lorainschools.org. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.