The final bell signaling second period rings.  All around Linganore, students are opening their textbooks and jotting down warm ups, but in Ms. Lane’s Child Development class, students drop their backpacks and prepare for a play date with Linganore’s tiniest Lancers.  The Little Lancers Preschool is about to begin!

The Little Lancers Preschool has been running  for four years and is open for three hours each day during the fall and spring.  Doors opened for this year’s spring session on March 3 and the preschoolers  (and their student teachers) have been hard at work.

During the three hours the Little Lancers are at school, they engage in a variety of activities and are taught by different levels of Child Development students.  Story time and play time are always included, of course, but the Little Lancers also rotate among activities building strength in math, language, science, art, small muscle development, and music.  The main objective of the preschool is to prepare the future Lancers for kindergarten education, so every activity is both fun and educational.

The Little Lancers program is also equally fun and educational for Child Development students, who rotate working in the preschool on different days.  When they’re not teaching, students spend their class period preparing lesson plans, gathering materials, and sometimes even testing their lessons and activities to ensure they’re prepared as possible for their time with the kids.

Not everything always goes as planned, however. Part of the experience of working with real kids in real situations is learning to deal with the unexpected as it comes and being able to handle difficult situations calmly and efficiently.

“Anything that can go wrong probably will go wrong,” says Child Development teacher and Little Lancers supervisor Mrs. Kate Lane.

What makes the preschool so special for all levels of Child Development students is that it gives hands-on experience with all kinds of unpredictable scenarios and forces students to develop patience and problem solving skills to overcome the obstacle.  “It’s not like in the textbook,” explains junior Abby Ryan.

“Different kids have different reasons for reacting to situations in a certain way.  You have to figure out how to handle each unique situation as it comes.”

The preschool is also a great way for Child Development students to share their love of children.  Due to the small preschool class size, students are able to work more closely with each Little Lancer and get to know each one individually.  They are given the opportunity to see the children learn and grow and see the excitement in their eyes when they really connect with an activity or lesson.

“The best part it seeing something click in their minds when they finally understand,” said Abby Ryan.

Child Development is a career readiness and builds a multitude of skills required for success in the workforce.  It’s also a huge stepping stone for students interested in a career working with young children.  Taking all three levels of the course, as well as independent living can also offer students with an opportunity to complete a completer course.  In addition, students who pass Child Development 1, 2, and 3 may receive a certificate certifying them to teach preschool in the state of Maryland with no expiration date.  You too could help shape the next generation of Lancers of LHS.

For more information about enrolling a preschool-aged child, click here.