- Video shows the Early Learning Center at Kennedy and dancing children.
- Maria Farmer, a teacher at Early Learning Center at Kennedy, shares the importance of the Week of the Young Child and the benefits of dancing.
- Tiffany Awortwi shares what she enjoys most about sending her kids to an early learning center and what she hopes her children achieve in the future.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Research shows early education can increase the chances of graduating, maintaining a job and income and even owning a home.
I'm Melissa Wright, your North Omaha neighborhood reporter, where one early learning center in North Omaha is working with parents and students to help them succeed.
“Music and movement… you want to get them to move around and dance around,” said Maria Farmer.
Early Learning Center at Kennedy teacher Maria Farmer says this week of school is different. It’s all about the week of the young child which is celebrated nationwide.
"The week of the young child reminds us of what the kids are learning what impacts them as a child,” said Farmer.
Not every day you get to dance class, but dancing and singing actually has its benefits.
Dancing and movement does help you release frustration you can have a happy dance you can have a sad dance… you can have an any kind go dance,” said Farmer.
Research shows when children sing, dance and listen to music they are also developing their language and early literacy skills.
The program also works closely with families when it comes to the hurdles of education.
“We do home visits where we go and visit the families in their homes and we talk to the parents. We do questionnaires so we know what the children like,” said Farmer.
Tiffany Awortwi, a parent with a three-year-old that attends the learning center, says her favorite part is the community engagement and working with teachers outside of the school environment.
“You know, being able to see outside the environment that they’re in everyday… in a free and open environment," said Awortwi.
Awortwi says working with teachers closely and getting all three of children into the early learning center helps them to succeed.
"That they see the importance of education as they go on see the importance of going to college, getting a degree and things of that nature,” said Awortwi.
