Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

President Obama has issued a challenge to  develop cutting-edge plan to raise the quality of early learning programs. He wants states to improve early childhood education and better prepare young children for kindergarten to give students a head start in education. I would like to see Missouri answer this challenge by investing in preschool programs, particularly with "at risk" students. 

If I had just $10,000 to improve the local early childhood education programs in our area, I would use the money to reach out to families whose children are not currently enrolled in pre-school programs. In my district, preschool is not provided for children through the public schools so it is up to parents to prepare their children for kindergarten. Parents may not know that their children may be eligible for free preschool through the district if their child is delayed in an educational area. For example, a child with a speech delay may qualify to go to a district approved preschool at no cost with an Individual Education Plan. It would be great if every child could go to preschool at no cost but it is incredibly important to enroll the children who need it the most because intervening at an early age can prevent years of problems in later years.

To educate the community on the importance of preschool and the availability of financial assistance or free programs, I would advertise in local media and work with existing Parents as Teachers programs to get the word out to as many families as possible. I would also like to send home information to enrolled elementary students who may have younger brothers or sisters at home. If there was enough money, I would host a social for parents of preschool aged children and invite local preschools to present to parents and children in a fun and educational setting about why early childhood education is so important. 

Preschool is important to our local communities and as part of our national education plan. I hope Missouri will invest in early childhood education and answer the call to make dramatic changes to improve this area. By working together as a community and reaching out to the families of kids not enrolled in preschool, we can take a step in the right direction.