Now on to this week's post...
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You walk into a pre-K classroom together with yous view several groups of 4-year-olds playing at dissimilar areas inward the room. One grouping of students is playing at a pretend grocery store. They are deeply immersed inward "buying" together with "selling" toy fruits together with vegetables. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 instructor stands nearby together with asks them open-ended questions like, "what does the cashier do?" or "how much does a banana cost?"
Another grouping of students is edifice amongst blocks on the floor. They are working together to construct a tall tower. Another instructor is bespeak probing questions like, "how many blocks create yous direct hold stacked together with then far?" together with "what volition direct identify if nosotros stack to a greater extent than or less other block?"
As a naive bystander, yous wonder if the kids hither are truly learning anything? I mean, aren't they only playing? What are the teachers doing only playing amongst them? You outset to wonder if preschool is truly worth the coin yous are paying for it.
As a parent, yous may direct hold had an come across similar to this one. Maybe yous were touring preschools inward search of the correct 1 for your child. Perhaps yous saw this every bit yous watched your kid at preschool prior to pick-up time.
As adults, nosotros oftentimes direct hold preconceived notions virtually what "schooling" should expect similar together with include. Doesn't preschool hateful a instructor inward front end of a grouping of kids instructing them inward the ways of ABC's together with 123's? What is oftentimes missed is the subtlety of how children acquire together with the beauty of children's development. Research together with real-life experience say us that all people acquire best when they are actively engaged amongst whatever it is they are learning. This is peculiarly the instance for immature children.
And what engaged kids to a greater extent than than anything else? Play! Although kids can learn through worksheets together with flashcards, the lessons that create goodness them the most together with that they volition keep inward their piffling brains for years to come are those learned through hands-on engagement, which commonly happens through play.
In her novel book, The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten together with the Future of Our Children, writer Suzanne Bouffard brings to low-cal these issues of learning, play, together with kid development. As I mentioned on my Facebook Live concluding week, this majority is must-read information if yous direct hold a kid approaching pre-K age...here's why:
** Packed amongst research, but even together with then approachable. It takes existent science to pack lots of enquiry into a majority together with it non audio similar a textbook. However, Suzanne Bouffard does it! She uses a wonderful storytelling style together with incorporates the plough over enquiry inward the land inward such a agency that it's enjoyable to read. You experience similar yous are only next along amongst a few families every bit they see preschools.
** Explains play-based education. For me, this was 1 of the large highlights of the book--a detailed explanation (with examples!) of play-based educational activity together with WHY it is the preferred method for teaching immature children. As a parent, this is what yous desire to know--how is my kid learning through play together with what does it expect similar inward existent life. This majority delivers on this point.
** Why educational activity policy matters. I shout upward many parents fighting amongst agreement how national educational activity policy together with funding affects their local schools. This book explains inward real-life examples how national policies towards early on educational activity together with K-12 educational activity impacts preschools inward our country. If yous desire insight into how schools inward lower SES neighborhoods fighting or why staffing inward preschools is together with then difficult, this opens the door to all those issues.
The Value of Play-Based Learning (at School or Home)
All these points are wonderful, but maybe the best lesson I learned from the book was 1 that may non survive together with then slow to see. Her give-and-take of how preschoolers acquire together with examples of play-based learning gave me to a greater extent than confidence every bit a raise that I tin assist my kid acquire through play at home. Many of us shipping our kids to preschool (myself included) but the other five or half dozen hours of the solar daytime I sometimes fighting to know how to engage him inward play together with non allow him to zone out inward front end of a screen. This majority truly offers insight into the role of open-ended questions, open-ended toys together with an agreement of how preschoolers acquire to assist parents comprise guided play at home. After reading this, I realized all the piffling things I create amongst my 4-year-old at habitation or spell running errands truly create assist him acquire of import lessons. Singing songs, bespeak him questions, teaching him virtually how things move inward the world, are non only wasted words...this is truly the best agency for him to learn.
This video explains the benefits of play for learning:
Hopefully, yous volition uncovering this aspect of the majority helpful likewise together with gain confidence inward your mightiness to raise your preschooler inward such a agency that incorporates a flake of playful learning.
Are yous searching for a preschool or pre-K program for your kid soon? Not certain what to expect for?
Sign upward together with download this FREE Parent's Guide to Pre-K. Take it amongst yous on your preschool tour!
Share this postal service amongst your parenting friends!
Click below to view related posts:
The Hidden Effects of Early Childhood ProgramsWhy Preschoolers Don't Follow Instructions (and ways to help)
The Subtle Beauty of Child Development: What is Lost When We Push Too Hard
The Most Important Year
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