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Kindergarten Ready
Secrets of Preschool Teachers of the Year By Laura Cone
A preschool teacher for 26 years, Geralyn Dunckelman of Houma, La., says she has never forgotten how to be a child. When it's raining outside, she takes her children at Oakshire Elementary School out to touch the rain, and she comes to school dressed as a chicken or in other costumes.
"There are small things in life children just love," Dunckelman says. "We lose sight of the importance of that rainbow or having ice cream in the middle of the day. If they get dirty it's OK. If I'm covered with paint, we laugh."
Dunckelman is one of several national preschool teachers of the year who offered advice to parents about how to get their children ready for kindergarten.
Kindergarten, they say, is the new first grade. For parents of preschool children who want to teach their children at home, the demands are greater than ever.
According to the teachers, it's not necessary to put your child in an organized pre-kindergarten program, but it is essential to expose them to group activities such as playgroups and basic math and reading concepts. The women, who were selected by Publications International Ltd., the makers of Story Reader products, believe in helping children learn through play.
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