Right start might curb violence

Nanny's kids aren't going to be gangsters.

Nan Stephens teaches preschoolers whose parents are well-educated and financially successful; some of the names you'd recognize instantly.

When she saw the city's initiative against youth violence, with its emphasis on teenagers, Stephens sent me a note.

If the mayor is serious about combating gang violence, he should put money into high-quality preschool, she said.

The work she does to enrich the lives of her young students also could save lives.

Each year I see more research confirming the importance of early brain development.

Each year I hear K-12 teachers say they can't help children who aren't ready for school.

And each year I become more convinced that if we want more people to succeed, if we want better schools and less crime, we'd be smart to channel resources into seeing that children get the nurturing they need in the critical years from birth to age 5.

The gospel of early education Stephens preaches is less about numbers and letters and more about emotional and social development.

When preschoolers leave her, they are ready to learn math and spelling. They know how to sit still and listen, how to stand in line and use friendly words to settle disputes.

One day last week I watched her class of 3-year-olds. The kids sat on a big oval rug, each child's bottom resting on one of the animals pictured around the edges of the rug.

They played the up/down game. They all chanted "up, down" while Stephens pointed at each one in turn, pausing periodically and then asking the next child: "Are you up or down?" It's a pre-math skill. They learn about sequences, and they learn to stay focused because a reward is coming.

At the end they get to do silly-up-and-down, chanting really fast and flailing around for a moment before moving to the next activity.

Every activity during the day mixes learning and fun.

Stephens tries to give each child what she wanted for her three daughters.

She was an RN when she decided to stay home because she was concerned about the weight academics were given in the preschool education of her two older daughters. She opened a preschool in her basement in 1990 and focused on strong social skills and enjoyment of learning.

The children sing about six big turkeys. One girl crumpled a paper turkey, and Stephens asked, "Do we bend them? No. We don't bend them because we have to use them again. I know it was an accident."

The girl flattened out the turkey.

If someone wants a toy you have, you don't have to have a tantrum or give up the toy. You can say, "I have it now. You can have it later."

The skills seem so simple we assume every child has them, but that isn't so.

Stephens' youngest daughter is in high school. Sometimes all the kids lose out because a teacher uses class time to manage the behavior of students who didn't get a good foundation.

She has an analogy I like:

Would you rather fix an airplane in midflight or make sure it's prepared before it leaves the hangar?

Jerry Large's column appears Monday and Thursday. Reach him at 206-464-3346 or jlarge@seattletimes.com.