Washington Elementary School kindergarten students learned how a traffic signal works and viewed various road signs during a visit from Missouri Department of Transportation representatives Wednesday.

Traffic studies engineer Jason Shafer made the presentation to help students understand the things they see when riding in cars or walking along Missouri roadways. The program was the first in a new outreach effort by MoDOT to teach young students about traffic safety.

"We felt getting with the children while they're young is really important in emphasizing safety," said Angie Wilson with MoDOT. "We're hoping to see this program take off so we can visit many more schools."

Wilson said she was as surprised as the students and teachers attending the presentation by the size of the traffic signs and signals. Although much lighter than when made of steel, the aluminum signs can reach up to 48 inches in diameter and are quite heavy, she said.

Teachers said the signs look much smaller on posts than in the classroom, where most of the signs were taller than the students viewing them. The four-feet traffic signal taken from a Perryville intersection also appeared oversized to participants.

"Even though I work there, I was very surprised when they brought the signs into the office," Wilson said. "Everything is much larger than it appears next to the roads."

Students appeared to be learning how the traffic signal worked and figuring out what a black cow on a yellow background meant. Leesa Eudy, kindergarten teacher, said the visit also allowed students to practice reading skills while viewing signs. Playing with the traffic signal was an opportunity to practice sequencing and color recognition, she said.

"We need to look at the signal and remember where the colors go," Eudy told students.

After Shafer's visit they put their memories to work to prepare edible stop lights made from graham crackers, peanut butter and colored candies.

While he appreciated the practical-skills practice students received, Shafer said his goal was to prepare students for the day they get behind the wheel of a car. Many adults could benefit from the training students received during the presentation, he said.

"They're going to be driving one of these days, and they need to have a good idea of what these signs mean," Shafer said. "This was a good format to keep up our involvement with the public."