Friends and family of the students crowded into the grade school’s kindergarten room to watch the children sing, dance and recite nursery rhymes. Parents also heard from teachers about the different activities their children had been working on.

The three-week program was designed six years ago to prepare entering kindergartners for their first year in school.

“The goal is to give the kids a chance to get used to the school setting before school starts and to get a head start on some of the kindergarten skills,” said Denise Smith, a kindergarten teacher at the grade school.

She said the kindergarten teachers at the school had noticed a difference in the students who attended pre-kindergarten classes and those who didn’t.

The program focused on three major areas that are crucial for the predevelopment of children. Each day the students split their time between pre-reading, fine motor skills and pre-kindergarten skills.

Reann French, a reading recovery teacher at the grade school, said one of the most important ways for a child to develop reading skills was through the use of rhyming. The students used the repetition and rhyming patterns in nursery rhymes to practice this skill.

She also urged parents to make reading a part of their daily routine with their children.

During their fine motor skill classes, Karen Sivits, a sixth grade teacher, said she worked with the students on how to correctly hold a pencil or crayon. She said they also used clay and finger-paints to strengthen their finger muscles.

For the pre-kindergarten skills class, the students learned their ABC’s, how to follow directions, how to take turns and about colors and shapes.