Early Education Center

Ruth Gnuse, Coordinator

The Elkhorn Early Education Center serves 3 and 4 year old children from the Elkhorn community who have special education needs, qualify for Title I services and/or have limited English proficiency.

Educational services for children with disabilities are determined on an individual basis according to each child’s assessed needs.

The students involved in the Title I preschool program are children who are 4 years old and who will be 5 before October 15th of the following year. Children are eligible for the Title I preschool program if they demonstrate a need in general concept development, language skills or fine/gross motor development. This is determined through a screening process.

Children needing to acquire English skills may participate in the preschool program as an English Language Learner student.

What Are Screenings?

Screenings are a way to learn about your child’s development and skill levels. The screening will show how your child is developing compared to other children his or her age. Children requiring more extensive evaluations are referred to other school personnel for more formal testing and possible special education services. Children demonstrating low scores on the screening may qualify for Title I preschool services. Children demonstrating limited English proficiency may qualify for services as an English Language Learner.

The screening process takes approximately one hour. A standardized screening instrument is used to assess each child’s development in areas of speech and concept development. These screenings are conducted the first Friday of each month during the school year.

Does My Child Need To Be Screened?

Is your child having difficulty with one or more of the following skills?

• Has difficulty using pencils, crayons, or scissors
• Is unable to identify colors and shapes
• Is unable to count objects
• Is destructive or unable to accept limits
• Has difficulty playing with other children
• Has unclear or garbled speech
• Has difficulty expressing wants
• Uses incomplete sentences
• Gives inappropriate answers to questions
• Does not seem to understand well
• Does not appear to be learning at an average rate.

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, please contact us at 289-2579 ext. 7 for an appointment to have your child attend a free developmental screening.