Students at Waukegan’s Robbie M. Lightfoot Early Learning Center learn how to raise their hand to speak, how to write their name, recognize the letters of the alphabet, the value of numbers and much more that is assumed when they enter kindergarten.
Since not all preschool children in Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 and other parts of Lake County have the opportunity to attend preschool, Eduardo Cesario, the district’s chief academic officer, said those without the experience start behind the others.
“It takes a couple of months to develop the routine of school,” Cesario said. “They get a jumpstart in preschool, and know how to engage with other kids.”
United Way of Lake County’s free Kindergarten Countdown Camp — open to students in Waukegan and four other county communities — provides the jumpstart to incoming kindergarten students without preschool experience.
Success By 6 program manager Rosa Herrera, who oversees Camp Countdown, said a large percentage of campers develop socially, emotionally and academically over the summer so they can enter kindergarten on a level playing field.
“We are a bridge for people to develop what they will need to start the school year,” she said. “We prepare students for a successful start in kindergarten. They need to be prepared socially and emotionally.”
Kindergarten Countdown Camp is taking applications for its five four-week, half-day programs in June in Waukegan, Zion, Round Lake and Antioch — and in August in Beach Park — teaching children what they need to know on day one at the start of the school year.
As United Way officials started looking at the performance of kindergarten-age children in different districts in Lake County, Herrera said they targeted those where the need was greatest.
Those districts are Waukegan’s, Zion Elementary School District 6, Beach Park Elementary School District 3, Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34 and Round Lake Community Unit School District 116.
Herrera said social and emotional learning is as crucial to learning as reading and math readiness. Along with learning how to properly get in line to go somewhere, and raising their hand rather than speaking out loud, small motor skills like tying shoes are taught.
When the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools four years ago, Cesario said some children did not know anyone outside of their household. It took a while before they had the opportunity to socialize with peers. Preschoolers got the exposure, but others did not.
“Preschool gives them the opportunity to interact with their peers,” he said. “This camp does that for those without the experience. They learn to socialize and develop friendships.”
With 60 campers in Waukegan, Herrera said it is highly likely some of the children will see familiar faces when they get to kindergarten in August. The same is true in the other four districts.
Academically, he said the children learn the letters of the alphabet. They will recognize numbers, and learn the value of those numerals. They will develop the skill to hold a pencil, and print their name with it.
“They’ll become familiar with a book,” Herrera said. “They’ll learn to recognize the cover and how to open it. They’ll learn early math skills. We’ll show them three apples, and put two more there so they see five. We’ll take two away, so they see three.”
Remembering a camper from a past year, Herrera said he came to camp with little experience interacting with peers. He slowly started learning the skills being taught, and she started to see changes.
“The first few weeks he really wasn’t getting it,” Herrera said. “After those few weeks, he became more grounded. After he started school, his kindergarten teacher told me he was a leader on the first day.”
The deadline for registering children for camp is two weeks before the start date, which is June 3 in Waukegan, Round Lake and Zion; June 5 in Antioch; and July 29 in Beach Park.
Waukegan students will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Lyon Magnet Elementary School through July 1, Round Lake campers will assemble from 8 a.m. to noon at John P. McGee Middle School until June 27.
Participants in Antioch will attend from 8 a.m. to noon at Oakland Elementary School until June 27. Zion campers go from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at West Elementary School through July 11. The Beach Park cohort attends from 8 a.m. to noon at Kenneth Murphy Elementary School.
