Preschool Fair Offers One-Stop Shop for Parents, Youngsters

abc-blocksParents of preschool-age Starke County children can take advantage of a one-stop shop tonight at the 3rd Annual Starke County Community Foundation Preschool Fair. Representatives from the county’s nine preschools as well as other programs that serve young children and their families will be on hand to share information. Marshall-Starke Head Start Development Director Dawn Wallen encourages parents to look at the quality of any preschool or daycare program they choose for their children.

She adds teachers at Head Start work on various types of skills. Children brush their teeth in the classroom and work on social and academic skills, such as learning  the letters of the alphabet, learning to recognize colors and shapes, learning to recognize numerals and how to print their name.

Wallen adds children who have been through preschool are often more socially advanced than their peers who have not been taught in a structured setting when it comes to problem solving and following instructions.

The Starke County Community Foundation Preschool Fair will take place tonight from 4:30 until 6 p.m. at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in downtown Knox. It’s a free event and will feature information about a variety of available programs for preschool-age children.