Learning by playing is the name of the game at L.P. Waters Early Childhood Center, where 3- and 4-year olds are learning to count and spell using everything from balls and hoops to activity mats.

"For kids under 5, play is the foundation for creativity, constructive problem-solving, self-regulation, and learning as a whole," Susan Linn, cofounder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and author of The Case for Make Believe, said in a recent article in Parents magazine.

And thanks to a grant from the Greenville Educational Enrichment Foundation (GEEF), fun learning stations are enhancing daily learning at L.P. Waters. Students rotate through the various stations that provide enhanced hand-eye coordination and equilibrium. Some of the stations include movement that integrates numbers, counting, letters and letter sounds.

LPW recently launched the program campus-wide with the help of Peer Assistance and Leadership students (PALs) from Greenville High School.  The PALs helped the students learn the station activities and gave lots of encouragement.

The new activities went over well with preschoolers like Clair Eshelman, who exclaimed, “Next time, can we do this again?”

Marla Woods, Adapted PE and Assistive Technology Coordinator for GISD, expressed her thanks.

“We are grateful for the GEEF grant that provided the equipment to make all of this possible. We also want to thank Mrs. Cheryl Brown for sending the PALS our way to help make our event a success,” Woods said.

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Your GEEF Dollars at Work is a series of articles spotlighting how the foundation makes a meaningful difference in the lives of GISD students, teachers and the community by fulfilling academic needs. GEEF supporters include GISD teachers, staff members, parents, area businesses, and community members.