"Academic" preschools that promise to prepare kids for the cutthroat world of kindergarten are becoming more and more popular. But are they a good idea?
How can parents tell whether their childâs preschool is adequately preparing him for school, or placing way too much pressure on him?
Children must master the language of things before they master the language of words." - Friedrich Froebel, Pedagogics of the Kindergarten, 1895 In one sentence, Froebel, father of the kindergarten, expressed the essence of early-childhood education. Children are not born knowing the difference between red and green, sweet and sour, rough and smooth, cold and hot, or any number of physical sensations.
At a time in which many people feel our national government should be finding ways to be less involved in education and finding ways to cut spending, we see the opposite unfolding. Pre-K may be expanded and our national debt will drastically increase. It is urgent that we analyze what is happening to our young children.
Posted by janet on Nov 13th, 2010 I'm still scratching my head that I actually witnessed this... Years ago, I was investigating preschools for my first child and made a scheduled visit to one of the most popular schools in the neighborhood, chosen by parents I consider to be intelligent and thoughtful.
The Grave Risks of Too Much Information Too Soon "Some parents and educators believe that a child is like a huge container. To insure the child's success, they think it their job to fill it up with as much information as possible, as quickly as possible.
Once upon a time, several kids didn't attend educational institution the least bit, and people United Nations agency did spent their mornings cutting, pasting, and taking part in house. These days, educational institution could be a ceremony of passage, and "academic" preschools that promise to arrange children for the cutthroat world of preschool have become additional and additional well-liked.
Credit: Veer Early this year, two dissimilar governors delivered two similar messages. "Effective preschool education can help make all children ready to learn the day they start school and, more importantly, help close the enormous gap facing children in poverty," announced New York's Eliot Spitzer.
When are children "ready" for school? There is much debate about when the transition between play-based pre-school and the start of "formal" schooling should begin. The trend in the UK primary school curriculum over recent decades has been towards an earlier start to formal instruction, and an erosion of learning through play.
It's practically been relegated to superstar status in the annals of parenting lore: the Manhattan mom who sued her daughter's $19,000-a-year preschool on grounds that the 4-year-old was not sufficiently prepared to tackle the entrance test for private kindergarten.
Compared to most other western European countries, English pupils are extremely early starters in the classroom. While compulsory education begins in England at the age of five (with many children actually starting at four), in countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland, school doesn't begin until the age of seven.
The right age for children to start school is one of the longest-running and most polarising issues in education, but an ongoing debate in the U.K. is pushing already divided opinion to extremes. In one corner is an influential former adviser to Tony Blair, who is calling for schools to start admitting children as young as two to try to counter the effects of poor parenting.
Earlychildhood NEWS is the online resource for teachers and parents of young children, infants to age 8. You will find articles about developmentally appropriate practice, child health, safety and behavior as well as links to teacher resources and networking opportunities.
When I began my career in education, I taught fourth grade. The very thought of teaching younger children scared me. In fact, when the first grade children zigzagged through the lunchroom, I thought, "What could I ever do with them? They can't read....or anything!" and I thanked my lucky stars that I taught 9 year olds!
Picking a preschool should be easy, but with so many different terms and philosophies, it can be overwhelming. With a little research, you can make the right choice for your child's first formal educational experience and set the stage for a lifetime of learning.
Earlier this month the "Too Much, Too Soon" campaign made headlines with a letter calling for a change to the start age for formal learning in schools. Here, one of the signatories, Cambridge researcher David Whitebread, from the Faculty of Education, explains why children may need more time to develop before their formal education begins in earnest.
ADVERTISEMENT Issues Library-State & Local by Scott A. Woodruff, Esq., and HSLDA Legal Staff 1. According to a comprehensive, rigorous study (released October 2012) by the Department of Health and Human Services, which operates Head Start, Looking across the full study period, from the beginning of Head Start through 3rd grade, the evidence is clear that access to Head Start ...
Rob Saxton is Oregon's deputy superintendent of public instruction. Jada Rupley is the early learning system director within the state Department of Education. Together they wrote an op-ed in The Oregonian that was published online with this headline: Kindergarten test results a 'sobering snapshot' What could possibly be sobering about test results from kindergartners?
The NEA-supported, bipartisan Strong Start for America's Children Act (S. 2452/H.R. 3461), introduced in the House and Senate on November 13, 2013, would promote high-quality learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5.
Far too many children enter school not prepared. When unprepared children begin school behind, they tend to fall further and further behind. Children who are at risk of not doing well in school gain significant benefits from quality childcare. All children need to enter school ready and able to succeed.
Many people have reservations about the importance of pre-kindergarten education. This was clearly manifest in 2006 when the California legislature unsuccessfully attempted to pass a law that would make pre-school education mandatory for all children. Many Californians did not agree with the importance of using tax payer funds to fund mandatory pre-school programs, including parents desiring to educate their children themselves.
James Heckman is one of the nation's top economists studying human development. Thirteen years ago, he shared the Nobel for economics. In February, he stood before the annual meeting of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, showed the assembled business executives a chart, and demolished the United States' entire approach to education.
