As COVID-19 has shut down in-person learning at the Learning Community Center of South Omaha, preschoolers are now learning through virtual visits — focusing on bilingual vocabulary, classroom behavior and other basic skills.
” is still improving her motor skills and learning like ABCs and numbers and everything like that, and I’m really really thankful for the program,” said one parent named Rosy.
Playing Simon Says, something like that just works on focus and attention, which is really good when they go to school because you need to know how to listen to the teacher,” Ibarra said.
She said some students may feel disconnected, but seeing their teachers on screen bring them a bit closer.
“So that’s why I think it’s extra important that we’re talking through feelings,” Ibarra said. “Kids are feeling the pandemic as much as anyone else and they’re going to be feeling it in a different way and needing to learn, ‘How can I get through this. Why does my world look so different right now?'”
Many of these families are putting down roots in the U.S., meaning both children and parents are learning English.
“But I think what’s great is that home they get to speak their native language of their comfort,” said Ibarra. “But then, when they go to school, hearing English prior to that helps them kind of be ready to enter kindergarten.”
One parent, Noemi, said her child’s improvement affects South Omaha future.
“I’m impressed with this program and this community, because it’s very very important to me and this community,” Noemi said.