A tiny girl in a plaid jumper and ponytail rushes into the bright classroom, finds her nametag, and with the help of her teacher, names each letter. Minutes later, she's giving directions to her classmates, playing teacher behind Miss Nicole's back. What makes this scene all the more delightful is that a year ago, this preschooler had next to no language at all.

Gearity School is home to the district's Early Childhood Center, six classrooms housed in a separate wing and serving 120 young learners. Stepping Stones offers all-day, full-year preschool, while the other classes are half-day. In three of those classrooms, children with and without disabilities play and learn together.

 Nicole Coatoam, a licensed early childhood teacher, collaborates with Rena Ellis, a pre-school intervention specialist, as well as two aides, to address each child's needs. Today they're deep into dinosaurs, in preparation for next week's trip to the Natural History Museum. The children dictate dinosaur stories for their journals, become sand-table paleontologists and arrange toy T-Rex's according to size. All this fun is keyed to the state's content standards, building skills that include literacy, measuring, memory and observation.

The center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Staff-to-child ratio is 1:10 or better. When a boy with behavioral problems has trouble during circle time, Miss Rena helps him re-focus without disturbing the other children's concentration. "Our curriculum has many levels," she says, "with opportunities for children to move up, and for everyone to succeed."  Speech and physical therapists work in the classroom, their expertise benefiting all the students. Close communication with parents is part of the process.
The day before was dance class, and later this day the art teacher is due. But right now it's snack time. A smiling girl leads the way, ponytail bobbing.

This article is from the Gearity Globe, one of seven Neighborhood Newsletters from Reaching Heights. Read them all at www.reachingheights.org//programs/neighborhood-news/