Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 9, 1 September 1993 — Toddlers and parents learn and have fun through play [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Toddlers and parents learn and have fun through play

KS/BE Traveling Preschools

by Jeff Clark It's mid-moming and the temperature is rising for a mom at hpme with her toddler. If you were that parent, would you rather tum up the television fullblast to drown out the bored child's crying, or spend a eouple hours in an atmosphere where both of you ean be happy and learning at the same time? To bring fun and leaming into keiki's (and Mom or Dad's) life, Kamehameha Schools / Bishop Estate has created "Traveling Preschools." At sites on the Wai'anae Coast, as well as in Honolulu and Waimānalo and on the neighbor islands, Kamehameha Schools staff take all the materials that compose a preschool, paek them into a van (along with plenty of aloha), and take their show on the road. A recent day at Pōka'i Bay was filled with Play-Dough, reading, hula, singing, puzzles, games, painting, all the things toddlers need to fill, challenge and stretch their developing minds. But "things" do not a preschool make. Some of the more important elements of the experience are cooperation, sharing, getting along with others, imagination, curiosity, motor skills development, and problem-solving. The Traveling Preschools are designed for children ages 2-3, but slightly younger and older kids are weleome to join in the fun. It's an outreach program that brings the preschools to the

neighborhoods by making use of churches, community centers and parks. Fall semester sites on the Leeward Coast include: The Kamehameha Schoo!s Traveling Preschools Program visits neighborhoods with high concentrations of Hawaiians to engage toddlers in fun learning experiences and to teach their parents or caregivers teaching methods they ean use at home. It's free and it's fun. For information eall the Kamehameha Schools office nearest you: Ko'olauloa 293-9066 Waimānalo 259-7922 Honolulu 842-8462 Wai'anae Coast 6965821 Kaua'i 337-1162 Maui 842-8817 Moloka'i 842-8888 East Hawai'i 935-2165 West Hawai'i 323-2145 Nānākuli Recreation Center, the Pu'u Heleakalā Community Association building, the Mā'ili Recreation Center, Pililā'au Park, Wai'anae District Park, and the Mākaha Recreation Center.

A teacher and an aide lay out mats and set up a different activity on eaeh. There is a mat with books for storytime, one where they ean play house, mats where they ean build things, and more. What do children learn from play? According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, "Play is essential for children to learn. Through play children explore their world, find out how to get along with others, test their skills and muscles, try out new ideas, and feel competent enough to try different activities." The program pays strict attention to heahh standards required by the state education and heahh departments. Keiki must have their TB clearance and all their immunizations. Regular heahh checks are made, and Monday is "'uku eheek day." Eaeh child must bring a parent or other caring adult, and the adults are involved every bit as mueh as the kids are. They are encouraged to interact and play with their children, help them learn and get along, and do a little learning themselves. That

important seed of parental involvement in education is planted. Some of the parents have eommented that they enjoy the

ehanee to spend real quality time with their children, minus the distractions that steal attention from the keiki at home. continued on page 18

Dolly Hargrave and daughter Shailah paint a picture together at the KS Traveling Preschool located at the Wai'anae Boys and Girls Club. Photo by Jeff Clark

Here's looking at you, kid: Nancy Lopez and her daughter Ho'opono see eye-to-eye at Pōka'ī Bay. Photo by Jeff Clark

Traveling Preschools

continued from page 8 Nancy Lopez has been bringing her children to the Traveling Preschool at Pōka'I Bay for a long time. "We've been coming for three years and we enjoy it a lot. She loves to explore," Lopez says of her youngest, Ho'opono, who she asks, "You love school, huh?" Dolly Hargrave, playing with her daughter Shailah, said, "We enjoy it. At least it keeps her occupied! It helps, so she ean at least get along with other kids." Kina Pahia says her three-year-old son Kauhane can't get enough of Traveling Preschool, so they went to both Wai'anae Coast sites open this summer, Pōka'ī Bay and the Wai'anae Boys & Girls Club. "He likes it so mueh we go four times a

week, and that keeps him pretty busy. He learns pretty fast over here." "The whole family is never excluded from any of our eomponents, and that I think is one of the features that is the most powerful part of what we do in the community," said Barbara Ariyoshi, supervisor of Kameha-

meha's early education center at Mā'ili. "We go out there and embrace the whole family, and include them in our programs." Ariyoshi said an important role of the parent is "to interact with the child, to lend language to what is going on and to lend understanding." She added that low SAT scores may follow if

parents don't communicate verbally. The teachers encourage precision and description in speech, because a child's school performance might improve after "Put away your stuffs" becomes "Please go into the bedroom and put your dolls in the toy box." One of the stations at the traveling preschools is for parents (or caregivers), and includes pamphlets and brochures with information about how to stimulate the child in play. For instance, they are cued as to what words they ean teach to their keiki, and what kinds of questions to ask to stimulate that young mind. Then the parents, aunties, uncles and grandparents are able to use these new teaching skills with their children at home. The Traveling Preschools are part of Kamehameha Schools' early education program, whieh is partially funded by the federal government through the Native Hawaiian Education Act. The

early education program, whieh Ariyoshi says is basically a preg-nancy-to-age-5 intervention program, also includes a parentinfant program and their centerbased preschools. Kamehameha Schools also offers a six-week summer school program to help 4-year-olds prepare for kindergarten. Kamehameha Schools early education director Bob Springer said the Traveling Preschools program has been wildly successful since it began in 1987, and that new sites in Hāna and Wailuku are being added this year. "We have a full range for services, ranging from expectant parents all the way to age 5 when the child goes to kindergarten. So the Traveling Preschools fit right in the middle of those years," Springer said. "They provide a link between the infant stage and the childhood stage."

Parents, children and Kamehameha Schools staff all play together at KS/BE Traveling Preschools. Photo by Jeff Ciark