NEW HAVEN — More than a third of the city’s preschoolers will not have the basic skills needed for kindergarten when they start next year.

The supervisor of the city’s Board of Education’s early childhood education, Tina Mannarino, gave a report to the panel Monday on the status of early education, including school readiness and proposed solutions to help the children
succeed when they reach kindergarten.

"It’s not enough to identify them, we need to work with them rigorously," Mannarino said.

The survey indicated that 34 percent of 1,900 children — roughly 650 — are at risk in kindergarten next year because they need skills such as confidence, the ability to communicate and get along with others, curiosity and persistence.

Mannarino also advocates that every child who wants to be in a preschool program have that opportunity. Most of the children who were not ready for kindergarten did not attend early education programs such as Head Start, she said.

In addition to assessing needs in the children, the early education program assessed shortcomings in city preschool programs.

Study results show New Haven needed a uniform curriculum, systematic assessment and a professional development plan, Mannarino said.

The early education program took steps to remedy the problem last year, she said.

Each preschool class starting this year now follows the same curriculum, including a math and science component. Each classroom has three computers to give the youngsters early exposure.

"We really track those kids for the next four years," said board member Frances Padilla.