(submitted photo/Government of Saskatchewan)

By Glenn Hicks

educational support

New program for Pre-K kids with intensive needs

Mar 14, 2019 | 4:59 PM

A program aimed at helping more pre-school kids who have intensive needs is being expanded in Saskatchewan.

Twenty-eight spots in the Early Learning Intensive Support (ELIS) program for pre-kindergarten students will be coming to Prince Albert as part of the expansion in five cities. North Battleford, Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Yorkton are also included.

“The program offers very specialized supports, whether that’s speech language pathology supports or occupational therapy supports,” Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division Superintendent of Schools Randy Emmerson told paNOW. ”Or it might even be supports from folks that have a lot of experience or expertise in providing an education for the early years students.”

Emmerson said the expansion of the pilot program that has already been underway in Regina and Saskatoon would mean an additional half-time educational assistant (EA) for every two students. The division already provides some intensive support to early learners.

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

10h ago

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

17h ago

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

Apr 23, 2024

“What that allows us to do is give those students very specialized support and it frees up the EA’s we have in those classes to be that much more intentional for the other students in the pre-K class,” he said.

More than $2 million in funding is being provided for the program through the Canada-Saskatchewan Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

“I am happy to see that this pilot program is expanding to new communities in Saskatchewan,” federal Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale in a media release said. “Today’s announcement will allow more children with intensive needs in Saskatchewan to access support and resources that will help them have a good start in life so that they can succeed.”

Meanwhile Emmerson said the extra supports are very much-needed.

“Pre-K in and of itself is meant to be an intervention program and that’s why vulnerable students are targeted to be in those programs,” Emmerson said. “When we invest in the early years it can only mean a higher graduation rate further down the road and I think this is one way of following our belief that students require interventions as early as we can possibly provide them.”

—

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow