A screening is conducted by staff at the Oldham County Preschool and consists of the following five areas:
Vision Screening
An age appropriate screening tool that consists of line drawings of familiar objects is used and a staff member talks with the child before they are asked to name the pictures to make sure that they can identify each one.
Hearing Screening
A machine called a tympanometer is used to test the child's hearing. This machine is operated by placing a probe up to the child's ear, but before this is done a staff member will show the child that it will not hurt by pushing on his/her own finger with the probe. When the probe is placed on the ear the child will be watching a racecar go across the screen. This will be fun for the child, as it appears that their ear is "running" the car, but it will also tell us if the screening was successful. The machine prints a diagram showing the movement of each eardrum. This diagram will be sent to an audiologist who will read it and say whether the child passed, needs to be rescreened, or needs to be seen by a physician. The audiologist's recommendation will be conveyed to the child's guardian by letter.
Dental Screening
After enrollment, area dentists will come into the classrooms to look at the children's teeth. She will talk to each class about what to expect before the dentist comes.
Height/Weight Measurements
After enrollment, the school nurse will measure the child's height and weight and plot the information on a growth chart. If concerns are noted, the nurse will contact the child's guardian by letter and/or telephone.
Developmental Screening
The Preschool staff will administer screenings in the areas of motor, concepts and language. These screenings consist of activities such as looking at and naming pictures, jumping, hopping, and building with blocks. These tasks are fun for children, but they will also help us to determine your child's developmental levels. This information along with the important input we receive from you, will help our teachers plan teaching activities that will challenge and enhance the child's overall skill development.