KinderClub resumes for upcoming 2024 kindergartners

By Jazmine Knight

United Way of Greater St. Joseph is back with another program to help get young kids ready for school.

This time they are partnering with St Joseph elementary schools to offer KinderClub. Designed for 4- and 5-year-olds, KinderClub is a part of United Way’s Success by 6 program.

Bobbie Cronk, the United Way’s director of children’s initiatives, said the program is meant to serve as one last step before they head to kindergarten.

“KinderClub is really designed to be that last push, that last little effort,” Cronk said.

Both parents and students can attend a two-session series that covers various aspects of student development. This includes basics in reading, math, fine motor skills and more.

“KinderClub provides parents and other primary caregivers with the tools and resources and knowledge that they need to be able to support their child’s development,” Cronk said. “And specifically those skills and those things that are really helpful for school success so that when their child walks in the kindergarten on that very first day, they’re having a great day and they have everything they need.”

The program allows parents to enhance reading time they may already be having.

“We know that reading with your children from birth is just really important,” Cronk said. “But being able to sit in and listen to a story, answer questions such as who is the main character? What’s happening here? What do you think’s going to happen next? That sort of thing. I mean, really equipping parents with some of that language that they can use when they’re reading with their kids.”

Furthermore, the club aims to teach parents how to encourage their children to think deeply.

“How do we talk to our children? How do we have those open-ended conversations? Where we ask them to describe what they drew or describe what they made with the Play-Doh? We’ve got some cutting activities, so they can strengthen those fine motor skills with scissors and learn how to use scissors,” Cronk said.

Outside of academics, KinderClub also teaches students how to be away from their parents to make the transition to school days easier.

Each session, facilitated by local teachers, is held at a different St. Joseph elementary school. Every session is one hour and children will be sent home with a toolbox of school supplies such as markers, pencils, scissors, books and more to ensure students can practice their acquired skills at home.

The first session begins on Jan. 25 at Coleman Elementary. For a full list of the session dates and times, and information on how to register, visit https://www.stjosephunitedway.org.