By RUTH RICE

The tribune-democrat

rrice@tribdem.com

Youngsters at Bethany Methodist Nursery School are learning the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic before entering kindergarten.

The school, located on the second floor of the church, 112 Leventry Road in Richland Township, has a class for 3-year-olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a class for 4-year-olds on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Both classes run through mid-May.

Children must be 3 or 4 by Oct. 1 to join their particular class.

New students can enroll at any time if their families move into the region.

The classes for 3-year-olds, which is held from

9 to 11:30 a.m., is taught by Cindy Santichen.

“We have an exceptional group this year,” said Santichen, after finishing a handprint-making session using finger paints. “There are seven of them, and they play well together. They get excited over little things.”

The curious children are introduced to colors, shapes, numbers and letters.

Emphasis is placed on activities to assist in the development of fine and gross motor skills, listening and speaking skills and social and emotional development.

“We’ll introduce them to nursery rhymes and do a coloring sheet to teach them how to hold a crayon,” Santichen said. “We do finger plays with the nursery rhymes. When we do Humpty Dumpty, I’m going to bring in an egg and put a face and hat on it, and we’ll have a Lego wall. It’s the simple things they love.”

The 3-year-olds will learn cutting skills, what is different and what is the same about certain objects and the meaning of words such as on and off and up and down.

“They’re so receptive at that age,” Santichen said. “We teach them the same as the 4-year-olds, but a level down. They’ll be introduced to letters and numbers. We teach them, but we want it to be fun

– no pressure, so they don’t think it’s schoolwork.”

Gene Sedlak, one of the teachers of the 4-year- olds, said the 3-year-old class is often smaller because parents aren’t ready to send their children, and some children aren’t ready to go to school yet.

Because there are 21 children enrolled in the

4-year-olds’ class, it is divided into two groups for more individual attention.

Sedlak teaches one group and Tammy Hucik teaches the other. Both groups meet from 8:30 to 11:30.

Hucik, who has taught at Bethany for seven years, said her class starts with circle time, where children play a game, learn about the calendar and the weather, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and listen to a Bible story.

The intention of the class for 4-year-olds is to prepare children for kindergarten. They learn to write their names and their numbers through 10 and learn beginning phonics.

Building on concepts introduced in the class for 3-year-olds, the program for 4-year-olds emphasizes pre-reading, math and writing skills.

Listening skills and language development are sharpened with activities involving problem solving, following directions, creative play and one-on-one instructions.

During a quiet time, Hucik provides individual assistance as the youngsters learn how to use scissors while other children play with toys while awaiting their time with the scissors.

“We need to know their abilities,” Hucik said. “We teach them how to cut and hold a pencil.”

Sue Cade, an aide, goes between the two classes, giving help where it is needed.

Cade is setting up computers for the 4-year-olds to use.

Snack time is exciting because the child who brings the snack gets to be line leader and bathroom leader and put the date on the calendar for that day.

“They can’t wait,” Hucik said. “They ask me, ‘When is it my turn?’ ”

In Sedlak’s classroom, the second group of youngsters is working on an art project.

The children receive one-on-one attention and participate in free play while they wait.

When it’s time for her group to join the other

4-year-olds for snacks, Sedlak lines them up while reciting a portion of a rhyme:

“Stand in line, it’s easy to do. Stand behind the one in front of you.”

While not religion-based, the school offers children a Christian environment and teaches them to look out for others.

Children at Bethany have participated in a trike-a-thon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The school has raised more than $10,000 during the years.

The children also will be visited by a dentist, nurse, pastor, musician, dance teacher, storyteller, firefighter and others so the children learn how to interact with people in the community.

The school was founded in 1976 as an outreach ministry of the church.

The Rev. Jerry Gray, former pastor, and his wife, Cheryl, believed the school would meet the needs of a young and growing population in Geistown Borough, Richland Township and surrounding areas.

Recognizing a growing trend toward preschool education, the church established one of the first schools in the area designed to give 3- and 4-year-olds a head start in education.

Classes are $50 a month for 3-year-olds and $80 a month for 4-year-olds. There is a nonrefundable

$25 registration fee.