Fun Learning and Criteria for Preschool Selection

 

Preschool is so much fun. Baby boomers remember kindergarten as a time of play and social interaction. Today, kindergarten is serious business with most students learning how to read before going on to 1st grade.


Learning Should be Fun in Preschools
Deborah Stipek, the dean of the school of education at Stanford University, one of the most highly respected colleges in the United States, calls academic preschools "Drill and Kill." Stipek says, "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, ‘If you have three cookies and I give you another one, how many do you have?’ they wouldn’t know."
However, Stipek is not in favor of totally unstructured preschools either. "I’m supportive of learning activities that are intentional and planned, but fun and engaging for kids."


Criteria for Preschool Selection
Rae Pica, author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child [Marlow & Co., 2006] and Great Games for Young Children [Gryphon House, 2006], tells of her preferences when selecting a preschool. Research shows that children learn better in the following format:

• Movement is the young child’s preferred mode of learning.
• Lessons that are physically experienced have more immediate and longer-lasting impact.
• The integration of body systems allows for optimal learning to take place.
• The more senses used in the learning process, the more information retained.
• Play is linked to greater creativity and problem solving, improved reading levels, and higher IQ scores.

There is a strong correlation between the time children are most playful and the time when the brain is making the most connections.
Therefore, Pica suggests that parents look for the following when selecting a preschool for their child.

• Sorting and stacking blocks and other manipulatives (mathematical knowledge)
• Singing and dancing, or acting out a story (emergent literacy)
• Growing plants from seeds, exploring the outdoors, and investigating at sand and water tables (science)
• Trying on various roles and interacting with one another at housekeeping and other dramatic-play centers (Social Studies).

Citation:
Victoria Clayton, "Should preschools be all work, no play?," msnbc.com, August 6, 2007.
Rae Pica, Place of Your Own, December 2009.

Preschoolers Not Too Young to Develop the Skills

 

While preschool programs are certainly valuable, learning to resolve conflict can and should start even earlier than elementary school, according to early childhood education experts from HighScope Educational Research Foundation.

The HighScope Educational Reaserch Foundation, an independent nonprofit research, development, training, and publishing organization located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, was founded in 1970, has developed a conflict resolution approach designed for young children aged 18 months to six year-olds. The approach is based on six simple mediation steps that teachers use with children during emotionally charged conflict situations. The steps are: (1) Approach calmly, stopping any hurtful actions; (2) Acknowledge children's feelings; (3) Gather information; (4) Restate the problem; (5) Ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together; and (6) Be prepared to give follow-up support.

The six steps are used differently depending on the age and developmental levels of the children. With toddlers, the adult observes what is going on and provides much of the language describing both the problem and the solution. On the other hand, preschoolers having a dispute are often able to describe what the problem is and suggest solutions. By the time children reach elementary school, they are often able to serve as mediators for their classmates, once all the children have had experience with the process.

Children's participation and agreement with the process is important, even when children's language skills are limited. A young child may confirm that the adult is on the right track by nodding, answering yes/no questions, or pointing. As children mature, they are able to take over more and more of the process themselves, and eventually are able to do it independently.

However, learning in preschools should be fun which attracts children to enjoy the time and learn at the same time. In the next blogs I will state the way of teaching children in Preschools and the criteria for preschools selection. I hope to see your valuable comments in order to stay in the track of my blog title " Let's Learn More"

Intellectual Development of Preschoolers

Preschool age Research

As a complition of the preschoolers aspects of children development, here is the intellectual development for the three and four-year-olds.

Three-year-olds

Intellectual Development - Preschool children learn best by doing. They need a variety of activities. They need indoor and outdoor space. They need a balance between active and quiet play. They can communicate their needs, ideas, and questions. Their attention span is a little longer so they can participate in group activities.

 

 

 

Four-year-olds

Intellectual Development - They ask lots of questions, including "how" and "why" questions. They are very talkative. Their language includes silly words and profanity. They enjoy serious discussions. They should understand some basic concepts such as number, size, weight, color, texture, distance, time and position. Their classification skills and reasoning ability are developing.

 

This is the complition of the three aspects I have proposed. Social, intellectual and physical aspects are the main three aspects that parents should pay attention to. Our children have the skills; just trust them.

 

 

Physical Development of Preschoolers

Preschool age Research

As a complition of the preschoolers aspects of children development, here is the physical development for the three and four-year-olds.

Three-year-olds

Physical Development - They ride a tricycle. They catch a ball. They stand on one foot. They build towers of 6-9 blocks. They walk on tip toes. They jump horizontally. They handle small objects such as puzzles, and pegboards. They smear or daub paint. They draw or paint in circular and horizontal motions. They grow about 3 inches taller in a year.

Four-year-olds 

Physical Development - They run on tip toes. They gallop. They pump themselves on a swing. They hop on one foot. They begin to skip. They throw a ball overhand. They have more small muscle control. They can make representational pictures (for example, pictures of flowers, people, etc.) They like unzipping, unsnapping, and unbuttoning clothes. They dress themselves. They like lacing their own shoes. They can cut on a line with scissors. They can make designs and write crude letters. They are very active and aggressive in their play.

In the next post, I will conclude the three aspects of children development. See you there :)
 

Preschool Age Research

Preschool Age Research In order to convince parents to send their children to preschool, you need to discuss with them some scientific aspects. Are they ready to start preschool? However, three and four-year-old children are often called preschoolers. Preschool children want to touch, taste, smell, hear, and test things for themselves. They are eager to learn. They learn by experiencing and by doing. Preschoolers learn from their play. They are busy developing skills, using language, and struggling to gain inner control. In this post, I decided to narrow the aspects to one instead of three. It will be the social and educational development aspects as per our instructor recommendation.

Preschoolers want to establish themselves as separate from their parents. They are more independent than toddlers. They can express their needs since they have greater command of language. As Anita Gurian, PhD, - a clinical assistant professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine- points out:"Every child grows and adjusts to the world at his or her own pace". Fears often develop during the preschool years. Common fears include new places and experiences and separation from parents and other important people. You can expect the preschool child to test you over and over again. He or she might use forbidden words and might act very silly. Preschoolers may still have trouble getting along with other children and sharing may still be difficult. Because of their developing imaginations and rich fantasy lives, they may have trouble telling fantasy from reality. They may also talk about imaginary friends. Preschoolers need clear and simple rules so that they know the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Three-year-olds   Social and Emotional Development - They need to know clear and consistent rules and what the consequences for breaking them are. They enjoy dramatic play with other children. Their emotions are usually extreme and short-lived. They need to be encouraged to express their feelings with words. They begin to learn to share.   Four-Year-Olds Social and Emotional Development - They sometimes have imaginary friends. They tend to brag and be bossy. They have very active imaginations. They need to feel important and worthwhile. They can be aggressive but want friends and enjoy being with other children. They enjoy pretending to be important adults such as mom, dad, nurse, doctor, mail carrier, police officer. They appreciate praise for their achievements. They need opportunities to feel more freedom and independence. They are learning to take turns and to share. Games and other activities can help preschoolers learn about taking turns. All in all, it is so important for the parents to send their children to preschool in order to be familiar with the school environment and to gain as much as they could of basic skills. The bright side of these preschools that they teach the children with games which combine education and fun at the same time. I expect that the new generation will look forward choosing the preschool instead of waiting until school age to start their children education. Work Citation: American Academy. "New Issue of Healthy Children E-Magazine!"   HealthyChildren.org. Healthy Children, 7 July 2013. Web. Gurian, Anita K., PHD. "The Preschool Years: (ages Four and Five) Expectations and Challenges | AboutOurKids.org." The Preschool Years. NYU Child Study Center, n.d. Almulihan, Mulihan S., Master. "Age of Preschool." Personal interview. 4 July 2013.