When you think about school readiness, not very often would you also think about worms. But developing school readiness skills is exactly what the children at the Dorman Preschool Center in Shelbyville, Kentucky were doing on the day their director brought in a bucket of worms for them to explore!

Immediately the children showed curiosity in the worms as they explored what the worms could do, how they looked, what they felt like and how they moved in the dirt and across the table. One child became interested in laying the worms in various shapes to make letters. She started with an "O" but quickly realized she could make an "L" and a "Z." She then wanted to make an "A" and realized she needed another worm and had to ask another child for one of his. In this one experience, she identified letters, expressed her needs and wants, attended to tasks, worked well alone, showed curiosity and motivation to learn, and spoke in a five to six word sentence - all skills identified by Jefferson County Public Schools as ones children need to be ready for school.

On the toddler playground two children compared their worms, noticing similarities and differences, and worked together to race them and see whose worm was the fastest. One child noticed that the balance beam would make a better race track and moved both worms to it to watch their movement. This type of problem solving, cooperation and curiosity develop naturally when children have the opportunity to explore something they are interested in. Hands-on, real world experiences excite children to ask questions and test out ideas in ways that are hard to accomplish in a circle-time lesson about worms using only pictures and coloring sheets.

The Dorman Preschool Center is a part of the Excellence Academy Early Learning Centers, a partnership between Metro United Way, Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C) and the Lift a Life Foundation. The Excellence Academy is values play-based, child-led learning where the curriculum emerges from the ideas, interests and observations of the children. Teachers document the learning and create experiences for children to explore their interests more deeply or from a different direction. The Excellence Academy also strengthens the skills of preschool teachers, improving classroom environments while teaching kids to love learning. Recent testing shows that Excellence Academy children are twice as likely to enter kindergarten prepared to learn as their peers.

For more information about kindergarten readiness and the Excellence Academy, visit metrounitedway.org/ea.

Lisa Branstetter has been an Early Childhood Specialist with Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C) since 2004. She is currently a coach for the Excellence Academy as well as a credential trainer and conducts early care and education trainings throughout the Louisville area. Lisa has a BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of Kentucky and has been working in the field for over 35 years. She is a certified children's yoga instructor and specializes in creating inspiring indoor and outdoor classroom environments for young children.

Lisa has traveled to amazing places such as Iceland, Bora Bora and has plans to drive a motor home throughout Alaska. She enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking with her family and has recently begun the humbling experience of taking piano lessons.

Lisa can be reached at lisa-branstetter@4cforkids.com

Robin Schotter has been on staff at 4-C since 2009. In that time she has been a credentialed trainer of early childhood science, a coach in the Excellence Academy, and a writer/designer of creative projects. She is currently the Communications Manager and has a BA in English. She began her work with children in the mid 90s as a naturalist at two Indiana parks, Marengo Cave and Wyandotte Caves. She worked for many years as the Early Childhood Education Coordinator for the Kentucky Science Center and has collaborated on programs for children with local organizations such as the Squallis Puppeteers and Bernheim Forest.

Robin enjoys reading a good book, gardening, hiking, camping, making things and exploring the world with her son, Liam, and husband, Justin.

Robin can be reached at robin-schotter@4cforkids.com. Connect with 4-C on Facebook - facebook.com/4CVOICE, Pinterest - pinterest.com/4cforkids, Twitter - @4cforkids, or on our website www.4cforkids.org.