Connie Jo Williams emphasizes early education at Lunch Bunch ...

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Dr. Connie Jo Williams told parents on Wednesday that 50 percent of children's cognitive skills have been developed by the time they reach four years old, and the number of beds put in prisons are determined by how well third graders score on standardized testing.

Williams, director of the Early Beginnings Program for the Pascagoula School District, spoke during the monthly Lunch Bunch sponsored by Parents for Public Schools. Parents and grandparents from Moss Point, Pascagoula and Ocean Springs school districts attended the monthly luncheon held at the Pascagoula Public Library.

Williams told the group that children have the ability to learn from the time they are in the womb, but that parents must teach them in appropriate ways for their age levels. She said she often hears parents cursing young children at school and in public places.

"Children are not talked to; children are not read to; children are not nurtured," she said. "Children are dog-cursed."

She said that it's important that children have basic academic skills and school behavior before entering kindergarten. Children without preschool education usually score low in critical areas on entrance testing.

"If they are not able to do it, they are going to score in the emerging group. That's a sentence for life," she said.

However, the most telling scores are those of third graders, she said.

"Third grade scores are the number one predictor of prison beds. That's a child given a prison sentence," Williams said.

She said Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana do not have public pre-K programs. And according to federal law, a child does not have to attend school until they reach 7 years old.

Williams, talked about the programs provided by the school district that target early childhood education, including the Teen Parent, Excel By 5, Pre-K Launch Pad, Imagination Library, Super Saturday, and Family Interactive Center, where children are provided learning activities and educational material.

The district works with daycare centers in Pascagoula and Gautier, and public agencies in Jackson County.

Myya Robinson, Gulf Coast parent coach for Parents for Public Schools, Debbie Anglin, communication director for Pascagoula School District, and Patrice McCullum with Moss Point's Excel by Five also provided information about available learning material and activities offered in school districts.

Parent Anne' McMillion said she is constantly looking for ways to provide learning materials for her two children and any other children. She was pleased with the discussion early childhood education.

"I think it was really encouraging and very informative. This gives us a way to start collaborating on areas we know for our younger children," said McMillion. "We've got to get back to the cradle and nurturing for our younger children because we are losing them."

The Moss Point mother said she homeschools her 12-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, and would do more to work with Excel by 5.

Robinson said the Lunch Bunch has provided sessions on careers and sex education, the latter in Moss Point schools, who hosted the event. Scranton's provided refreshments for today's meeting.

Nancy Loome from the Parent Campaign will talk about charter schools at 6 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Family Interactive Center.

For more on Parents for Public Schools, check www.ppseverywhere.org or contact Robinson at 223-1983.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/10/connie_jo_williams_emphasizes.html

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