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I am mom to 3 kids: Maeve, grade 4; Skipper, grade 3 and Raines, my PreK scholar. Living the military lifestyle means we get to move often, generally every two years. We’ve had the pleasure of living outside Phoenix, AZ; Guam; Tampa, FL, southern Spain, and now Ramstein, Germany. While we love having the experience of living overseas and taking in the new cultures, it can be difficult. We don’t always know the language (especially in smaller villages), the foods can seem so foreign and scary to try, and it can be hard to be so far from home and family. It is also difficult to find a good solid preschool program that is affordable and has an opening. Where we are, there is a Montessori program and a more traditional preschool, both of which are not inexpensive. The options offered on the US Air Force base, as well as the Army post, are affordable but the waiting lists are long based on a list of criteria to meet. We do not meet the criteria for a higher position on the list, unfortunately, and the cost of the local economy options are prohibitive.

Out of our three children, Raines is the only one who hasn’t been to preschool. The older two were in a wonderful program run by the College of Education at University of South Florida in Tampa. There they learned the skills so needed for entering Kindergarten. I didn’t think twice about what those skills were. But one day I was sitting with Raines, trying to get him to stay with me for more than a page and a half of a book, and I realized I never had to teach my kids these things. I Googled “kindergarten skills”, knowing Raines was one day going to grow up and go to school, and found the info I was looking for. Raines would need to know how to use scissors, sit still for a story, button and zip and tie, know his numbers and letters. Well, we had recognizing numbers and letters but did he know anything about them, what they mean, sound like, the role they play? And I had a long way to go on teaching him the remaining skills. Further searching led me to PreK Scholars and while reading the description of the program I thought, “This is exactly what I need to help Raines!”

So here we are today. Living in Germany, taking in the culture, eating wonderful treats from out local bakery, figuring out what schnitzel is, recognizing that “apfel” is German for “apple,”and preparing for the beginning of our Pre K Scholars program. We will begin in July, when I also begin homeschooling my other two children, helping Raines to have the skills needed for Kindergarten. We are all looking forward to this journey we are on.

We wake up with the bittersweet feelings that come with the end of any school year. We can smell summer in the air! We are looking so forward to less hectic schedules and more playdates, later nights and no homework deadlines, no lunches to pack or sleeping children to wake up…I smile at the thought of less laundry—the bathing suits can replace school outfits. Hurray!

In that same breath, it means my girls are another year older. I get more nostalgic on their last days of school each year than I do on their birthdays. I also get a touch anxious with the lack of structure and how we will fill the time.

Apparently, many parents share this same anxiety. Hence, the rise in popularity with this whole “teachable moments” theme. It appears that many moms can identify with teachable moments and the practicality of utilizing the learning situations that can rise form everyday events.

Over the summer, I have been asked to be a guest writer on the popular blog www.ocmamma.com to provide a weekly teachable moment that parents can try as they embark on summer vacation with their kiddos. Let’s enjoy the everyday moments and stimulate their brains while were at it!

Why is positive reinforcement limited to children? Don’t we all enjoy a “pat on the back?”I think that positive reinforcement is encouraging no matter what age you may be.

In our marketing endeavors for Pre K Scholars, we have asked both teachers of our program and parents of children who have taken or are currently enrolled in the program to give a testimonial on what they think. Several are outlined below—as they continue to come in, I can’t help but feel the inspiration and encouragement of “positive Reinforcement!”

Testimonials for Pre K Scholars:

“Our daughter was in a developmental pre-school for 3 hours a day and only 3 days per week. We were concerned that she wouldn’t be ready for full-day, academic kindergarten. The Pre K Scholars program prepared her so well – she knew her letters and was beginning to read by the end of the program – we were so impressed by her progress!!”

-Becky

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“My teaching partner and I have been teaching the Pre K Scholars course for 9 weeks. This program has been easy to implement. The instructor’s manual was so well written that we were able to use it as a guide and set up our program quickly and efficiently. Our students have been completely engaged from week one. Every student is excited to come to class. Because the students are so enthusiastic they are motivated to learn. I am so surprised how far they have come in only 9 lessons! One can easily see the growth in each individual child by looking in their student notebook. This program has inspired and energized me back into a passion for teaching. The student’s success give me such a feeling of accomplishment. Each week I cannot wait to go to class to teach the next lesson. Next fall we know we will have no problem filling up more classes because this one has been so successful.

Thank You, Missy Ruiz (Pre K Scholar teacher)

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As a former teacher, I absolutely love “Scholarville” and how the letters of the alphabet are incorporated into the community theme. After teaching one day, I’m amazed at how easily learned the letters and sounds are with the use of kinesthetic arm motions. It’s fun for the students and teachers!

-Amy Hunt
Pre K Scholars teacher

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The Pre-K scholars program has been a wonderful experience for 2 of my children so far, with enrolling my third son in a few years. It has given them a wonderful foundation for kindergarten and I highly recommend the program to any pre-K student. Being a developmentally focused mom, the program has been fun, educational, but completely appropriate for the 4.5-5.5 age range.

-Wendy Leithem

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“I purchased the program with another former teacher and friend. Everything has gone so smoothly due to the detail and quality of the Pre K Scholars program. The materials are listed clearly and each week has a detailed explanation of what to do for every minute of each class. Both my partner and I are thrilled to be teaching again. We are having fun and most importantly the students cannot wait to come back each week!”

-Jana James Kalinowski

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As a Mom and a former teacher I was so excited when The PreK Scholars Home-based Business Curriculum was made available for me to purchase. The program is amazing! It is incredibly organized and comprehensive – not a single detail was left out! We are currently teaching 2 classes each week and the kids absolutely LOVE it!

-Brenda Lavin, Mom, Former 2nd Grade Teacher

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You know I think this class is amazing. On that front, you can say anything and use my name.

Thanks!
Melinda

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Pre K Scholars gave Courtney a head start and instilled confidence in her ability to read. She started Kindergarten at the top of her class and this program had a lot to do with it!

-Anne Ima

Before starting Pre K Scholars my son was still struggling with identifying his numbers and letters and very rarely wrote his name. Almost immediately after he started the Pre K Scholars program I noticed a remarkable improvement with his writing and letter identification. His writing now is legible and he feels so proud when he can share with his older siblings his knowledge of the alphabet and numbers and write his own name. He also frequently shares his homework (cutting activities, “Go Fish” card game, etc.) with his siblings and friends.

Thanks so much, Amy.
Traci Del Valle

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“I have been extremely happy with the Pre K Scholars program – obviously because I have my second child in the program right now! I love the fun and interesting homework, plus the cool things they do in the class. It is very creative – something I am not- and the class encourages me to work more with m kids at home. I would definitely recommend this class to everyone I know – it can only HELP your child.”

Sincerely, Janice Hess

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My son loves the class. He gets very excited when he knows he gets to go see Miss Amy. He was having a hard time learning his letters and sounds. Now he knows his letters and is able to remember the sounds for each letter he learns. I can see an improvement after 5 classes.

Rachael Plattner (Parent)

“This was a fantastic course, from start to finish! The material was creative, educational, and fun for the kids. Amy’s program made a huge difference, and really helped to prepare our son for kindergarten. I would recommend this to anyone!”

- Anne Brown

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Here are more comments from moms submitted on class evaluation forms.

• “She learned way more than I thought she would!”
• “Kasey felt like a ‘big girl’ going to this class. She took it very seriously. “
• “She knows her letters now. She’s writing capital and lower case. She’s starting to read. She has good number value.”
• “She was in a developmental preschool this year, only three days per week. I was concerned that she didn’t have any academic schooling and would be behind the other kindergarteners who had more advanced schooling.”
• “My son wants to know if he can do it again next year!”
• “I loved the unique ways Amy integrated crafts and projects to reinforce the letters the children were learning that week. It was also a great experience being able to check out books and have new stories for us to read.”
• “My child LOVED going every week!”
• “Letter recognition applied to everything throughout her day. Sounding things out on her own. Identifying an object and saying the letter it begins with. Printing improved.”
• “They learn a great deal, but in a fun and interactive environment.”

It’s been a good week for me as it relates to Pre K Scholars and its contribution to the Kindergarten Readiness Movement. The positive feedback we are receiving is not only amazing but serves as confirmation that we are fulfilling a current gap in our educational system.

A few minutes before class started this week, a mother could barely get her car in park before her son flung open the car door and bolted straight into our Pre K Scholars home classroom. He had a big smile on his face as he proudly carried his home activities binder under his arm and was anxious to tell us about his accomplishments during the week.

His mother came rushing in behind and said, “Watch out! You guys have released the hounds! He can’t wait to do his work and he can’t wait to come to class each week.”

She continued: “He now asks me all the time what letter things start with. I told his preschool teacher that we were taking a supplemental pre k class and she said that she was wondering, because it seemed as though all of a sudden a learning light went on with the little boy.”

Pre K Scholars is the perfect connection for anyone that is a natural with children and has a passion for teaching. It makes a teaching position available for those of us who have other young children and are not able to take a full-time classroom job.

Pre K education is especially ideal for the retired teacher; we get to return to our passion and work from home, all the while strengthening the bridge between preschool and Kindergarten and also making additional income for our families. With the current state of the economy, this is an added bonus.

My husband and I call these situations “win-win” situations because everyone benefits. In this case, the children are enriched, the teachers are fulfilled and the parents are both impressed and relieved.

Do you know someone who fits the profile— a retired elementary school teacher who would like to teach preschoolers?