DALTON, Ga. — A group of about 20 “little bloomers” practiced how to pronounce “octopus” during their first day of class Tuesday, while another group learned to walk in a straight line out in the hall.

“This round of first day was a little hectic,” teacher Yebel Garcia said at the end of the day.

The Little Bloomers program was founded in 2005 by the Dalton Education Foundation to help prepare 5-year-olds who are going into kindergarten but who haven’t been to prekindergarten.

Some of the kids are eager to start school, Ms. Garcia said. Others have trouble letting go of their parents. Some parents feel the same way, getting very emotional when dropping off their children.

Until last year, the program was funded through private contributions. This year Dalton Public Schools took over, parent resource coordinator Maria Khote said.

During the five-week program, 60 children in three classes are taught everything from writing their first and last names to carrying a lunch tray in the cafeteria.

“We really want these kids to be ready for school,” said Mrs. Khote. “Things are difficult with the economy but, at the same time, these kids need help with school.”

In Dalton Public Schools, about 600 children start kindergarten each year, but pre-k is only offered to about 200 of those, Mrs. Khote has said.

“It always surprises me how many students haven’t been to preschool,” said Lisa Goode, director of the school system’s summer school program. She’s principal at Blue Ridge Elementary School, where the Little Bloomer classes are held.

Staff Photo by Tim Barber A group of Little Bloomers form a line for the first time in their schooling career at Blue Ridge Elementary on Tuesday. Led by paraprofessional Marisela Fernandez, and followed by teacher Tami McClain, the students march off to the playground at the Dalton school.

“Our kindergarten teachers can tell when a child has had some sort of preschool (preparation),” Dr. Goode said. “It makes a big difference, and especially for those children who come to us not speaking English. It’s almost like they need another year because they are acquiring the English language in kindergarten instead of pre-k.”

In Ms. Garcia’s class Tuesday morning, a mixture of English and Spanish was spoken. As she pointed to the picture of an egg for the letter ‘e,’ some of the children replied “huevo,” the Spanish word for egg.

“A lot of our students are either migrant students or those who haven’t had a pre-k year and need almost like a little boost to get them through kindergarten,” said Ms. Garcia.

“They are missing out on simple things we take for granted, such as walking in a line. That’s what Little Bloomers helps them with,” she added. “We basically teach them how to go to school.”