In one corner of the Adairville School preschool room, three little girls were playing house, pretending to prepare a meal and take care of a baby. At a table in the center of the room, a boy worked on building a tall tower out of blocks. And at the back of the room, two students worked with Play-Doh.

At first glance, all this activity may just seem like a bunch of children playing, but there is actually much learning going on.

“Playing is how they learn,” said Debbie McClellan, a preschool teacher at Adairville. “Play is a child’s work.”

McClellan said her students spend much of their day at centers, various stations that may look like play areas but are really designed to teach some of the five main skills they work on in preschool: language, motor, cognitive, social and self-help.

While the children “play,” McClellan and her assistant, Donna Orndorff, go around and guide them, teaching them without the children really even knowing that they are learning. They are simply having fun.

“I like to play house and I like to play dress up,” said Trinity Harding as she carried a baby around the family life center.

“I like to play at centers,” said Cameron Putnam as he worked at the science center.

Preschool is offered at all five of the elementary schools. Most are half-day programs that meet on Mondays through Thursday but the Chandler's preschool is currently an all-day program that meets five days a week.

Each class is limited to 20 students, so it is important for parents to register their children as soon as possible.

The Transition to Preschool Parent Meeting is a great way for parents to learn more about the preschool program and find out how to get their children started.

The meeting will be held Thursday, March 11 at 6 p.m. at the Logan County High School. Parents will be given information on the preschool program and will be given appointment times for screening dates which will be March 19 and 26.

Jane Wilkins, Family Facilitator for Logan County schools, said there are a couple of ways for a child to qualify for preschool. One way for both three and four year olds to qualify is with what is called a developmental delay. This could be in the area of speech and language, cognitive abilities, motor skills or even personal/social skills and independent living/adaptive abilities. Children are screened to see if they qualify in one of these areas. Children who turn four by October 1 can also qualify based on income. Preschoolers who have special needs will be able to work on those areas with trained professionals such as physical, occupational and speech therapists during their time in class.

There are about 220 children in the Logan County preschool program and spots fill up quickly.

Wilkins said preschool gets children off to a great start in school and really helps get them ready for kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers say they can tell a difference in the students who have been in preschool and those who haven’t.

McClellan agreed that preschool is very important. Simply learning how to get along with others, walk in line and work on a schedule are skills that help the youngsters do well in kindergarten.

“I think preschool is very important,” McClellan said. “I think we’re the foundation of the rest of their school career.”

For more information on preschool in Logan County, call 726-2436 or attend the meeting on March 19 at 6 p.m. at LCHS.