A portable building at the back of Hoover Elementary houses the preschool program, but teacher Christina Aguilera showed visitors that the low-profile location belies the substance found inside.

She pointed out the different sections of the classroom where very young students start learning their letters and numbers, dabbling in painting and the arts, and exploring science.

The library section, for instance, is "our quiet area," she said. "We have a variety of books. We want to get the boys interested in reading, so we have sports pages."

Thursday's visit by state Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco, and others to the preschool classroom at the Community Education Center highlighted a program that could be replicated statewide given available funding.

The visit also followed the recent approval of new laws that seek to expand quality preschool across California.

"It's clear programs that focus on early childhood education prepare kids for kindergarten and beyond," said Mullin, who serves as chairman of the Assembly Education Committee. "Centers like this are crucial to the success of young children as they go into the K-12 system."

Besides learning the structure of the class he dropped by to see, Mullin chatted with such youngsters as Guadalupe Mota, 4, during recess.

With a brush in both hands, Guadalupe was busy painting a masterpiece.

"It's an elephant," she said of the glob of brown, blue and other colors plastered on a broad sheet of paper. "I like painting animals."

Guadalupe's class is part of the San Mateo County Preschool for All initiative, cited as a model for other early-childhood education projects in the state to follow.

Preschool for All offers free early education services to families, regardless of income, within targeted areas of the Redwood City and Ravenswood school districts.

The county Office of Education serves about 1,350 children, mostly from low-income families, in Preschool for All and three other programs.

"It's encouraging to see what we do in San Mateo County," Mullin said. "We have a sophisticated system."

The state's ongoing fiscal woes, however, will make it hard to copy the county's efforts elsewhere, he said.

But he felt his visit was important because he could take what he saw and make a case for additional preschool funds to his fellow legislators, Mullin said.

"If we are going to fund programs, we have to find those successes that can be replicated," he said.

In lieu of new funding, preschool advocates are pleased with recently signed laws that support early childhood learning in other ways.

Assembly Bill 2759 will consolidate all of the existing state preschool, prekindergarten, family literacy, general child care and development programs. It will then create the California State Preschool Program, the largest state-funded venture of its kind in the nation.

Senate Bill 1629 will establish a commission to develop a framework for improving the quality of preschool programs. This system will feature a rating scale of programs to help parents make informed decisions for their children. It also will include a graduated funding model to help preschool programs reach higher levels of quality — similar to what Preschool for All already does.

The new laws are "one more step forward," said Jeanie McLoughlin, director for Preschool for All. "They continue to build out quality components at a time when there's less funding" to create more classroom space for preschool-age children.