Above photo: Rosemary Harrington

SCHOHARIE  – Aspiring teachers and childcare workers are gaining first-hand experience helping younger Schoharie County youth learn.

Students in the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center Early Childhood Education program are working with children in the Whispering Pines Preschool in Schoharie, teaching them to read and write while developing a growth mindset.

Using a program called Phonica, BOCES students not only teach their younger peers, but also make the lesson enjoyable. Each morning, the Phonica lesson is taught by the teacher, and later in the day the Early Childhood juniors repeat and reinforce the same lesson. They also identify areas where the young readers struggle and then share their findings with the main teacher, said BOCES educator Jessica Quackenbush.

Nearly a dozen Capital Region BOCES students are taking part in the work-based learning. They are: Anilah O'Brien from Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW); Brianna Bailey, Duanesburg; Brianna Del Pozzo, Guilderland; Caylee Faulkner, Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS); Chloe Cataldo, Schalmont; Emma Rogers, CRCS; Grace Tommell, BKW; Kilie Palmatier, CRCS; Payton Schuyler, CRCS; Rosemary Harrington, Schalmont; and Tierney Morehouse, Schalmont.

Also taking part is aspiring teacher and Schalmont High School and Early Childhood Education senior Katie Delaney. 

“This has been a great opportunity. It’s interesting to see how [the student she works with] changes daily. Some mornings he doesn’t want to work with me; other mornings he is good,” Delaney said.

Delaney, who is also gaining real-world experience through work-based learning in a Schoharie Elementary School special education classroom, said the experiences she is gaining are giving her an advantage as she prepares for her future.

“I never thought I would get to do this much and get so far in my preparation for the rest of my life,” said Delaney, who will attend SUNY Cobleskill and plans a career in special education. 

Bailey, a high school junior, likewise said the work with the preschool students has been valuable.

“It lets me see how the foundational reading skills are taught. It starts with the building blocks, and I can help be a part of that,” said the Duanesburg student who aspires to a career as an elementary school teacher.

The Capital Region BOCES Early Child Education program is offered on the Albany Campus and in Schoharie Elementary School. Students in the program learn the basics of child development and build a solid foundation in classroom arrangement, management and curriculum development for infants/toddlers/preschoolers and young children. Students also learn how to communicate and work with parents and staff in an educational setting. An on-site childcare cent