The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is continuing to encourage families to enroll in no-cost, high-quality pre-k for 4-year-olds.

Director of Early Childhood Education at Berrien RESA Tia Miller tells us this is a great experience for children and helps them develop some skills ahead of kindergarten.

“With all those requirements of how kindergarten has shifted, it’s hard when you get to kindergarten if you haven’t had any experience,” Miller says. “I think it’s so important that families have this opportunity and it does not cost them anything.”

Here in Berrien County, there are 39 pre-k classrooms with 680 students currently enrolled. Miller says research shows high quality pre-k improves a child’s emotional, social, and intellectual skills.

“They come in with better social skills, their literacy, their writing, their reading, all the comprehension skills that they’re gaining from having that one year prior,” Miller says. “They’re coming in ahead of the kids that may not have that.

Families still have time to enroll their four-year-olds in a no cost pre-k class for this school year. Berrien RESA’s enrollment for next school year begins in February.

You can find more information here.