25-05-2025
‘They're awesome:' How JABSOM helps Hawaii's keiki get ready for school
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nearly 70% of Hawaii's keiki aren't ready for kindergarten, according to the Department of Education. A powerful program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine is quietly changing that, all while changing lives.
One year ago, five-year-old Dawson would barely say a word at preschool.
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'She struggled in the classroom, just kind of shying away from friends,' said Kanaiua Williams, mother.
That changed when Dawson joined the Early Literacy Preschool Program, part of JABSOM's Communication Sciences and Disorders Program.
The program is specifically designed for children ages three to five. Kids like Dawson head to JABSOM on the weekend to work on speech, letter recognition and sounds.
It's all critical for kindergarten readiness, and the best part — it's free.
'Because we know from research that children with those speech and language delays oftentimes have trouble with reading and writing in the future,' said Kayla Kawamura, clinical instructor.
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It's not clear why so many children lack school readiness.
Some may say it's related to the pandemic or too much screen time. But what is clear is the mission to help as many children get a head start in school.
'It's the part that doesn't feel like a job, and it's totally enjoyable and just so life-giving to see the kids grow in these sessions,' Kawamura added.
The individual therapy sessions are personalized to the child's interests and their speech and language goals.
'I like to use a lot of picture books, and we read picture books together. We might work on answering questions about what's happening in the story, we might work on their articulation or their ability to pronounce words that come up in the story,' said Kawamura.
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Dawson's mom said the transformation has been life-changing, expressing that Dawson can now play with friends and raise her hand in the classroom.
'I don't want to start crying, but I'm very grateful for this program and all of the therapists here. They're awesome, and I really mean that,' Kanaiua said.
Kawamura said parents can start their preschooler on the right path to school readiness by reading, talking and playing with your child.
If you have any questions about their speech or language development, don't be afraid to contact the clinic to schedule an evaluation at (808) 692-1580.
Enrollment in the Early Literacy Program limited. It's for six weeks and lasts two hours every Saturday.
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The program is free; however, there is a cost for individual speech therapy. In order to enroll in the Early Literacy Program, children must also be enrolled in one-on-one therapy, which can be covered by insurance.
For more information, visit JABSOM's website.
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