At one of the Tristate's newest preschools, there's a lot of talk — in English and Spanish — about snow.

        Many children of Hispanic immigrants have never seen snow, and have never heard the English word for nieve.

At the Bilingual Developmental Preschool Center, Samantha Pittinger shows Itzel Reys, 4, a story in a book. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        Without firm foundations in Spanish and English, Hispanic children are at risk for failure in school. The Bilingual Developmental Preschool Center is helping ease their transition into English-speaking public schools.

        The Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center (HSDC) of Greater Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati opened the school Oct. 15 at the HSDC in Corryville. It's believed to be the Tristate's only bilingual preschool for Hispanic children.

        “Our main objective is for children to learn and transition into the mainstream school culture successfully,” said Virginia Gonzalez, the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) coordinator at UC.

        “Early childhood education for Hispanic kids is so important so they develop a Spanish proficiency. That is a milestone for them to learn English faster.”

        Eleven students ages 3-5 attend the bilingual preschool. Eight are bused from the Princeton City School District, where they also attend an English-speaking preschool. Three were referred by Su Casa, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Hispanic Ministry Center in Carthage.

        With the burgeoning Hispanic population, the need to serve children of Spanish-speaking parents is more urgent. The Hispanic population in Hamilton County alone has nearly doubled, from 5,215 in 1990 to 9,514 in 2000.

        “The number of Hispanic children in the Princeton district has doubled each year since 1998 because of the factory labor in that area. Actually it's very common to hear Spanish in areas like Princeton and Florence,” Ms. Gonzalez said.

        “Poverty traditionally compounds the educational needs of children. They not only have to learn English with no prior background at home, but also their Spanish language may not be fully developed.”

        It's not that they lack the intelligence or the ability to learn, she said. They just lack the schooling and the resources that give wealthier students an advantage. Many come from families with low literacy skills.

        Besides learning academic English and Spanish, the children must learn social English and Spanish to be successful in school, Ms. Gonzalez said. The dropout rate nationwide among Hispanic students is 40 percent to 70 percent, largely because they've never mastered either language.

        “That's why I like early childhood education,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “It is not remedial. It's preventive. These kids have the opportunity for the whole world..”

        The opportunity for a bilingual preschool arose this year when the HSDC phased out its preschool program. The HSDC opened a preschool in 1956 for children with hearing impairments or speech/language difficulties. Public schools must now serve those children. The HSDC wanted to meet community needs not being provided elsewhere.

        “Because of the fact there is language delay and language learning difficulties involved with these children, it's a natural fit to be in this sort of environment,” said Eleanor Stromberg, HSDC interim executive director.

        Griselle Zeno, who is completing her doctorate in school psychology, knows the challenges of speaking English. She has only spoken English since she moved here 1 1/2 years ago. Although she learned English in Puerto Rico, the language isn't used there to communicate.

        In just two months, she's seen progress in the preschool students. “It's a tremendous satisfaction to see how they're learning. They are trying to say more words in English. At the beginning, a few were very shy, and they didn't talk a lot. Now, in Spanish, they are speaking a lot and saying some words in English, like glue, pencil and some colors.”

        Along with academics, preschoolers work on socialization skills.

        “We work on why we have to wash our hands before we eat, why we have to say we're sorry when we step on somebody's finger,” said Samantha Pittinger, a graduate student in Teaching English as a Second Language. “Taking turns is a big one.”

        The Bilingual Developmental Preschool Center is accepting registrations for new students. There are no geographic boundaries. The center also seeks additional funding to serve more students. Information: 221-0527, ext. 104.
       

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