This MSNBC story takes a look at "fun" preschools and those labeled as "academic" -- both trying to make their mark that 'both' will prepare 3- and 4-year-olds for kindergarten through different methods of teaching.
Some experts believe that children who are subjected to overly academic environments at a young age are less likely to be creative learners and thinkers.
My thoughts: teach them at home.
Russ and I agreed Jenna would attend preschool for the social aspect of it -- learning how to play, share, listen to other adults, and for a "structured" day. This, we believed, would prepare her for kindergarten and beyond.
I am not a crafty mom, but I taught my child her ABCs, numbers, shapes and colors. I taught her the basics of addition and subtraction. She knows how to write her letters and numbers.
And because of all the moving we do, she can point out the southern states.
I'll give Jenna's last teacher her due: Jenna came home one day reciting the Pledge of Allegience. And she knew what month it was. I hadn't even thought of helping her learn those things. And between the two of them, I learned the "days of the week" song, complete with the finger-snapping movements.
But there are some things school will never teach you. For instance, life and death -- touchy and serious conversations that mold your child's sensitive nature.
But at age 3 and 4, and whilst at school, let them have fun. Teach them. But teach them that learning is fun!
All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten focuses in on "fun" as well:
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Be aware of wonder.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Part of the MSNBC story quotes the dean of the school of education at Stanford, who calls academic preschools “drill and kills.”
“I’ve gone into preschools and listened to children recite the alphabet or count to 100, for example. And people might say, ‘Oh, what a great school!’ because the children recite this information. But if you ask (the kids), ‘If you have three cookies and I give you another one, how many do you have?’ they wouldn’t know.”
Jenna does. We taught her that.
I don't believe so much emphasis should be placed on these children at such a young age. Let them have fun. Let them learn through fun. They'll succeed. Just because Sally attended the "academic" school over the "fun and social" school Johnnie did, doesn't mean she'll score higher on her SATs.
Or even write her name the best in kindergarten.
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6 comments:
Kym, I couldn't agree more with your thoughts. That is precisely why I am waiting to enroll Ava until next year. I want her to have the social interaction and structure before K starts the next year.
I have always focused on teaching Ava what she is interested in and then some. She is starting to recognize sight words simply from me reading to her all the time and that she loves ABC's right now. She can count to 50 from us playing around, but she figured out on her own what 3 cookies plus 1 mor cookie is.
I just don't see why little kids are so pressured to learn, learn, learn at such a young age. They are learning through everything they do right now, and play is very vital to that. Kids go into school at all different levels, but they pretty much leave K at the same level.
Why push them so young? They have their whole life to grow up. I want to foster a love for learning, and I don't think that it will come by shoving it down their throats.
Hey there. I couldn't agree more -- there's all the time in the world to do academics. Sadly, as pressures to achieve and meet standards have increased, public schools have lost much of the playing and socializing that were once standard parts of kindergarten. Some schools don't even have time for recess. No recess for 5-year-olds!
Hope Miss Jenna has the most wonderful time at her new school and y'all soon get settled in comfortably. I love your party idea -- maybe enough to try it ourselves, if we can get unpacked in time! Henry and Maggie have a weeklong "art camp" at their new school next week, which we hope will be a good introduction to the teachers and other kids. Judging from the art table and dress-up center and reading loft we saw in the classrooms there, it'll be a place that understands that little kids learn best through play.
You are so right! Teach them at home and let them learn through socialization and exploration in the pre-kinder years!
Just to brag on you:
What is so great about all that you've done with Jenna is that her vocabulary is expanded years beyond her chronological age.
Case in point: She & I were talking about dogs one day and she asked how many I have. I told her I have two. She said that she has two and that grandma & grandpa have two. I asked her how many dogs was that all together? She was able to process the information, interpret that all together meant she needed to add them up, and gave me the correct answer of "six."
(Some of the students that I work with don't have the foggiest idea what they're supposed to do when they hear/see the words all together.)
It was a wonderful moment for the teacher in me to hear my niece complete that mathematical process ... and you & Russ should be very proud of all the work y'all have done with her!
I had no idea, Lisa, about that conversation! I'm so proud :)
I have to say I think you have a very bright child. I think all the positive reinforcemment, encouragement to try new things is all that a child of 4 needs to learn. Kids have many years ahead of them in a structured environment... let them have fun and explore on their own. There are things in real life experiences that cannot be taught in a classroom. Shouldn't our children's interests drive their education anyway? A child who loves to paint and draw will learn math better in that way than to strap them to a desk and bombard them with addition/substraction flash cards.
I'm with you-- keep letting Jenna enjoy life, learning without always knowing that's what she's doing. Let her have the time to talk and play. Schools are SO focused on testing now that it's all we talk about. I don't think I could think of a day that I don't talk about something to do with testing. And, I certainly don't have time in the day to cover everything I'm supposed to AND let kids just be social and enjoy school. I love my job, but I hate what testing is doing to children... and I hate that I have to push it on them to keep my job.
Kim
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