Computer sharpens preschoolers’ skills

From the March 13, 1985, Nashville Banner

By Barchelle Askley

Sabrina Novachek, 4, didn’t talk much to people and shied away from other students at the West Nashville Head Start until she was introduced to the world of computers.

“It is mostly the students who are the most inhibited that really enjoy the computer,” said head teacher Olive Mayberry, who runs the preschool for low-income children. “There’s something about the computer that brings them out.”

The computer, which is on loan to the school, encouraged Sabrina to communicate more and, through games, it has taught each of the 20 preschoolers coordination, colors, numbers and alphabet.

The West Nashville Head Start is one of two Head Starts in Nashville being used as a demonstration center for Project Byte, a statewide model program designed to teach young children by using computers.

In its second year, the program is administered by the Center for Training and Technical Assistance at Tennessee State University. It is assisted by the Telephone Pioneers of America, a volunteer organization of South Central Bell.

“We wanted to introduce the computer to those children who would not normally be exposed to technological learning at an early age,” said Mary Fairless, coordinator of the program.

“It’s been very successful at our 20 sites in Tennessee. There are a number of cases where a child not involved with learning became motivated by the computer,” she said.

Volunteers of the Green Hills Council of the Pioneers adopted the West Nashville school and spend several hours a day instructing the children on the terminal.

“The Pioneers take on different community projects, and we heard about this one and voted to work with West Nashville Head Start,” said Shirley Talley, a Pioneer volunteer.

In the Head Start classroom, the computer is one of six “centers,” including a housekeeping center, math and science center and water and sand center.

“The computer is just an added center,” said Ms. Mayberry, soothing criticism that the children are learning everything from the computer.

“What we are interested in giving these children a chance (to use a computer) they would not normally have,” said Ms. Talley.  She, the teachers and other volunteers are taught the computer programs by TSU instructors.

Through the computer, the children have developed their language, motor development, self-esteem, and social skills.

With names such as People, Park, Line, Build, Draw and Dallas, the programs use objects and colors to entertain and encourage the children to participate.

By pushing a letter or number, the computer operator can make turtles move in different directions, determine the speed of an airplane, or put together a human figure in different colors.

Although some of the students may sit at the terminal past the 20-minute limit while others fidget in the chair after only a few minutes, the computer is a lesson worth learning.

“I think they are going to face computer work when they get into public schools, and they will be more familiar with it by having this experience here,” she said.

“They will be more verbal, and I really think the computer has been a big help in that area.”

(Tennessee State Library and Archives)