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A group of rising kindergartners sat on the ground and listened to a teacher read Eric Carle’s “From Head to Toe.”

The book, which asks readers to pantomime the actions of animals, captivated students as they beat their chests like gorillas and kicked their feet like donkeys.
The exciting and educational exercise seemed to speak to an inherent truth about education: Students like to learn and you just have to learn how to engage them.

The students were participating in Blount County’s kindergarten summer readiness program, which is in its sixth year. The program is voluntary, and teachers have about 10 children per classroom, said David Murrell, the school system’s elementary supervisor.

All 13 Blount County elementary schools are participating this summer. This is the first year for Townsend Elementary, whose students were previously sent to Walland Elementary School.

Teachers said they have enjoyed the program. Betsy Ogle, a second-grade teacher at Carpenters Elementary, has been teaching in the summer readiness program for four years. She is one of three teachers overseeing the program at Carpenters Elementary School.

One of the program’s greatest rewards, for her, is seeing the joy on a student’s face when he or she learns new information, Ogle said.

“They’re really excited about what they learn. When their parents pick them up, they’re telling them about everything they did and learned,” she said. “It’s fun just seeing the light bulbs go off when they learn something.”

Preparing students

“It’s a good program. The kids who come here definitely have an advantage in preparing for kindergarten. If I had children I would definitely send them here. It gives children a heads-up as far as discipline and what to expect in kindergarten,” said Rachel Johnson, a fourth-grade teacher at Carpenters Elementary School.

“I think even more than the academic benefits it helps the kids prepare for the social and emotional aspects of school, especially when they’re in classes more than twice this size,” said Connie Askew, a special education teacher at Carpenters Elementary School.

Many students said they are enjoying the program. Samuel Watkins, who will be attending Maryville Christian School this year, seemed barely able to contain himself while talking about everything they’ve done during the program’s first 15 days.

Samuel said they got to work on puzzles, sit outside and eat snacks, play with all kinds of toys, make arts and crafts, read books and write their names in shaving cream. Not everything, however, has been popular with students, he said.

“We also have quiet time and sometimes people pitch a fit. I don’t, though.”

He and fellow student Baylee Ward said the program’s best activity was making a spider puppet. “We got to make spiders out of our hands,” Ward said with a sense of wonderment. “My mom wanted to keep it and put it on a shelf in our bathroom so it would be safe,” Watkins said.

Revamped curriculum

The program has undergone some changes this year. A committee of teachers revamped the curriculum, and the program now features an integrated curriculum based on nursery rhymes, Murrell said. The program also includes the instruction of basic math, reading and writing skills.

The summer readiness program helps children alleviate some of their stress about coming to school, he said. Rising kindergartners get to meet their school’s principal, learn how to navigate the school and meet friendly faces.

Teachers also conduct pre- and post-assessments for students that tests the children on their recognition of letters, numerals, shapes and colors. These assessments will help create more diagnostic data for teachers to make instructional decisions for students, Murrell said.