METROVANCOUVER // GET THE SCOOP ON DAYCARES AND SCHOOLS
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For me, it would probably be socialization and, slightly less important, education. However, I would like my children to be as well-prepared as possible for kindergarten in terms of reading and writing.
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] 11.05.10 5.12PMHello,
I am a preschool teacher in the city of Vancouver and have taught for more than 8 years. I am really glad that someone has asked this question about what is important as far as preschool goes. I have to tell you that I meet so many parents who say the same thing...that they mostly care about the social aspect and thats it. Every time I hear this my heart breaks. Early Learning is so insanely important and so necessary for children. Not only that, I am always amazed at how much children want to learn and that they do actually learn so many important things at young ages.
I have taught three and four year olds to write their names, recognize letters, problem solve, and so many more things that preschool has to offer. Some parents have very busy lives and it can be hard to try and make sure your child gets all these experiences. As well, ECE'ers are trained in child growth and development...so they know how to give these kids the skills to learn and grow.
I think its sad that they are not expected to know how to do so many things by the time they get to kindergarten, they are underestimating how amazingly smart and able children truly are. And the thing is they want to learn their numbers and letters and songs and so many more skills that are in my opinion more important than just socializing.
I encourage parents to seriously do research, and by that I mean look at articles written by people who study the benefits of early learning (not just internet browsing research). They will find that early learning is so important and further more, not a challenge, as children really want to learn and thrive. If you choose to send your child to preschool, than you are choosing preschool for what preschool should stand for, which should be early learning, not just making friends. As a teacher I can honestly say that I, as well as colleagues of mine are consistently disappointed when we meet parents who only think the benefits of preschool are making friends, and who do not either believe or even really know the benefits of early learning.
Please don't get me wrong, Im not talking about harvard educating or anything...Im just simply saying that learning about numbers,letters and loads of other wonderful things in a group setting with their peers, consistently and with teachers who are educated to teach the young is so important and why not. I have yet to meet a child who hates coming to preschool or hates learning for that matter. Again this is just my opinion and based on the thousands of preschoolers I have sent off into the public school system. As a teacher and as a mother there is no question that my child will be apart of the early learning process. Thx for listening......
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100921/bc_kindergarte...
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] 11.12.10 10.10AMJust learned about this site and love this discussion even though I'm a few months late. Just want to say that I'm a mom of 3 and my kids have loved learning since they were 2...each of them did with no coercion from me whatsoever. I'd want to take them outside with neighborhood kids to jump in puddles in the rain but they were perfectly happy to do some number games or reading. Once I realized how much they love learning and just went with it...their eyes lit up each and every day because the more they learned, the more they felt independent and free. They saw the cause and effect of doing things on their own (ie. reading labels, instructions, etc)...no one had to wait their turn for mommy to help them. So hearing it from an ECE gives me comfort in knowing that I didn't mess them up too much by allowing them to do academically based activities so young! Thanks for that!
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] 01.15.11 1.27AMThis is a great conversation and lots to discuss! I think I've been looking at this specifically from my individual children's personalities. I would personally be so excited to see them focusing on learning how to read, write, and do math BUT I sense they are not enormously interested. Perhaps it's the stage, perhaps it's their characters. Instinctively, I feel like I should take their individual personalities into account and emphasise socialization if that's what it appears they need at this age. Anyone else agree? Disagree?
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] 11.13.10 5.36PMI am so glad you said what you said....This is what is so interesting about a quality preschool program.....learning math,reading and writing are hidden within the program. For example....playing in the water table..I put measuring cups and funnels in the water and allow four children to explore at one time. While the children are playing, I come over and facilitate the play. I can show the children many different ways to play with the toys I provide and relate them to math concepts. Even though I am not directly speaking about numbers per say...the ideas of full cup, half cup, or empty, pouring and so many more.....I could go on forever.
A quality preschool program is riddled with these types of examples...not just straight forward reading and writing....and every single child loves playing with water, its just a matter of what the early childhood educator creates as far as what they can actually learn. So I will say it again, preschool and quality programs are not just hanging out with friends....we are taught to create these types of experiences that involve and contain much more meaningful skills and tools than most parents even recognize.
Early learning is imperative and as I said before I have not met a child who does not like to learn. Not harvard...not sit and learn your numbers.....its way more fun than that...I would not have become a teacher if it was so straight forward. If you want more examples let me know...I can break down every inch of a preschool room and why we put out certain toys and games and how they foster so many of the important tools and skills that they will soon learn even more about.
I wish there was a way to notify me if someone responds to a thread!
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] 11.13.10 8.52PMPS, I switched usernames from ADMIN to ADMINKYC.
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] 11.13.10 5.37PMHi ECE'ER, We're hopefully going to add that function in soon - you'll get an email every time someone responds to a thread you've participated in. And I've also noticed we need to fix the date and time function on the messages. Anyhow, so great that you make learning fun. I'm so appreciative of teachers like you who really care about teaching children. Your job is SO IMPORTANT.
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] 11.14.10 5.10PMHow do you feel about what I wrote?? Do you agree?? Are parents somewhat confused by what should be happening at preschool? It sounded like you kinda of were, in the sense that you had mentioned your kids would not sit and do math and read and such. Im just wondering, because you are right, what we do is so important, yet I can speak for many teachers when I say we often do not feel as though we are important, because of some of the major misconceptions about preschool and what it is and what goes on. Please let me know...looking forward to those features, would make things much easier!
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] 11.15.10 12.50PMTeachers at any level are so important. I can remember every teacher I've had and they're so crucial to a child's development. I think if you can make learning fun and engaging, that's the ideal preschool scenario. I also feel like socialization is part of the learning experience - it's as important as any subject which needs to be taught...
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] 11.16.10 11.05AMTeachers really are so important..and hopefully as time passes and more and more research about early learning becomes available, more parents will be on the same page with preschool teachers and the programs they create and the importance of them. I feel like most parents try and act like they are on board with early learning,or actually know what it means, but do not really have any kind of clue what it truly means...as you had mentioned yourself, "I would personally be so excited to see them focusing on learning how to read, write, and do math BUT I sense they are not enormously interested".
Socialization just goes without saying, since you are putting your child in an place where they are obviously not alone. I think that the idea that there actually is a lot of learning going on in preschool is pretty foreign for parents...we need more awareness as this conversation has only impressed that upon me more.
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] 11.22.10 9.20AMAlsy FYI...an error happens every time I try and submit a comment, the weird thing is that the comment goes through but the error still appears. I am on a MAC....is it a compatibility issue you think??
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] 11.22.10 9.21AMThanks for bringing that to my attention - we'll be fixing that.
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] 11.22.10 11.53AMAwesome posts, i'm waiting for more info
[MMA betting
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] 01.03.11 7.19AMHaving put 2 kids through preschool, I am grateful that I did not choose an academic program. They're too young, developmentally, and it's a lot of wasted money. Guess what? My 2.5 yr old learned to read on her own at home with us, WITHOUT having to sit still and do worksheets and sorting. At this age, socialization, learning to be in a group and away from parents, listening to authority figures is incredibly important. So is parental involvement - I think moreso than preschool. Note - the academic-intensive preschoolers had problems socially once they hit elementary school. My daughter actually had a girl tell her that she did not know how to make friends. Choose a place that focuses on group work, play, social enrichment, rather than intensive individual work. School is only part of the equation; parenting, extra curriculars and inherent brightness counts just as much. Preschool is not going to make or break your child, nor is it going to hinder/help their chances at academic success in elementary school.
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] 02.02.11 3.20PMHi,I just joined this site too, and am interested in this discussion. My 8 year old loved learning - until she went to grade school. She does well academically, and she has lovely, caring, understanding teachers, but she can't wait to get home and can't wait be done with it all, and she's only in grade 2. This makes me terrible sad, as she DID have a fantasic pre-school teacher (as I'm sure you are, ECE'er!) , who was highly creative in her delivery and programming, and really put the focus on what the child was interested in and expanded upon those interests. My daughter never felt like she was learning there - and she learned so much! I believe in an education system that works hard NOT to prescribe a "one shoe fits all" approach to learning, and in my experience these schools are generally not public schools, but private (like Montessori or Waldorf or Emilio Reggio etc.) which not everyone can afford. I would love to find a public school in my area that looks at the child first and recognizes that not all children respond to heavily stuctured, rote-learning that is based on repetition and meeting standardized test scores. Your child is in school for a long, long time, it's important to foster a love of learning, which we worked really hard to do with my child. Then she hit grade school and it's a such a game-changer. I have to say we thought we chose a really great school for my daughter, and I never knew how much the method of deliver changes from teacher to teacher. Grade one broke her heart and it's going to be a long hard road to get her to love learning again.
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] 04.20.11 9.21AM