More schools have classes for 4-year-olds

Kennebec Journal, April 10, 2007

(excerpt) Waterville School Superintendent Eric Haley said that last fall five entering kindergarten students failed a book-handling test.

"They couldn't tell you whether the book was right side up or upside down," Haley said.

Haley said other statistics on his latest kindergarten class aren't much better: only 23 percent of the 120 students assessed, for instance, passed a pre-literacy skills assessment.

Those disturbing results, Haley said, are a clear indication that young children are not getting the attention and stimulation they need to develop basic learning skills.

Haley and others concerned about child development point to the glaring shortage of quality child care as the leading reason for this problem.

That is one reason he is a vocal advocate for investing more money in the child-care industry.

It also is the reason he is a strong supporter of 4-year-old programs.

Waterville has a Head Start 4-year-old class run by Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) at George J. Mitchell School.

It is one of 109 pre-school programs around the state, more than twice the number in place as recently as 2000.