Preschool 101
I just finished another round of parent/teacher conferences for my afternoon pre-K class of 16 four- and five-year-olds, so I'm feeling rather wasted. Talking to parents non-stop, for hours at a stretch, is hard work. I was thrilled to have 100% turn-out this time. This is rare, even for preschool parents who are still excited to hear how their children are doing in school. People are sometimes surprised when they find out that we conduct conferences for parents of preschoolers. However, today's public school preschool is nothing like "nursery school." In fact, today's preschoolers learn more academics than the kindergartners I taught thirty years ago, and as much as I learned in first grade! Please tell your friends and relatives: if they want their children to enjoy a traditional kindergarten experience, send their three-year-olds to a high quality preschool!
So, what do children learn in preschool? Academics include learning colors and shapes, alphabet letters and sounds, rhyming words and beginning sounds in words; sorting, making patterns, recognizing numbers and counting to 20 and beyond; learning personal information such as name, town, and birth date; writing names from memory and learning to copy words. I think that many other things we teach in preschool are at least as important as academics, though. Children must learn to get along with other children and a variety of adults. They learn to take turns, follow directions, ask for help, listen attentively to a story, put away toys and equipment. We do lots of singing (and dancing) in my class, and lots of art and science, too. Everyday, each child can choose from up to twelve centers to work in, including music and movement, discovery, writing, library, sand and water tables, art, woodworking, dramatic play, cooking, computers, toys and games, and blocks.
We try to provide a wide variety of experiences for our students. We have live plants in my classroom, and we are getting ready to plant a vegetable garden on the playground next week. I am amazed at the number of children who are so excited to simply touch garden soil! This year, our classroom pets include several goldfish and mosquito fish (they look like guppies to me), snails, a hermit crab, a fire belly toad, three Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and a hamster. We'll bring in a bucket full of dirt and worms in a couple of weeks. Yes, the kids will get to touch and hold the worms, because hands-on learning is the best!
I started my career teaching kindergarten in a Lutheran school. Since then, I've taught elementary music and art, and Lutheran preschool; I've worked as an elementary school substitute teacher, and I've been a daycare/preschool director. I once said that I would never teach preschool, but now I have to say that my current job is my favorite. I work with several excellent teachers, para-professionals, and therapists, who all make my job much easier. I work with kids from every possible background, with every possible ability and disability. I love to witness the huge growth each child makes in the course of just one school year. I don't care much for public school politics (although it is probably no worse than some of the church politics I've seen), and I do miss teaching Bible stories and Christian principles. However, I'm happy to be working right where God wants me to be right now. I'm almost looking forward to next month's parent/teacher conferences for my morning three-year-old class!
So, what do children learn in preschool? Academics include learning colors and shapes, alphabet letters and sounds, rhyming words and beginning sounds in words; sorting, making patterns, recognizing numbers and counting to 20 and beyond; learning personal information such as name, town, and birth date; writing names from memory and learning to copy words. I think that many other things we teach in preschool are at least as important as academics, though. Children must learn to get along with other children and a variety of adults. They learn to take turns, follow directions, ask for help, listen attentively to a story, put away toys and equipment. We do lots of singing (and dancing) in my class, and lots of art and science, too. Everyday, each child can choose from up to twelve centers to work in, including music and movement, discovery, writing, library, sand and water tables, art, woodworking, dramatic play, cooking, computers, toys and games, and blocks.
We try to provide a wide variety of experiences for our students. We have live plants in my classroom, and we are getting ready to plant a vegetable garden on the playground next week. I am amazed at the number of children who are so excited to simply touch garden soil! This year, our classroom pets include several goldfish and mosquito fish (they look like guppies to me), snails, a hermit crab, a fire belly toad, three Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and a hamster. We'll bring in a bucket full of dirt and worms in a couple of weeks. Yes, the kids will get to touch and hold the worms, because hands-on learning is the best!
I started my career teaching kindergarten in a Lutheran school. Since then, I've taught elementary music and art, and Lutheran preschool; I've worked as an elementary school substitute teacher, and I've been a daycare/preschool director. I once said that I would never teach preschool, but now I have to say that my current job is my favorite. I work with several excellent teachers, para-professionals, and therapists, who all make my job much easier. I work with kids from every possible background, with every possible ability and disability. I love to witness the huge growth each child makes in the course of just one school year. I don't care much for public school politics (although it is probably no worse than some of the church politics I've seen), and I do miss teaching Bible stories and Christian principles. However, I'm happy to be working right where God wants me to be right now. I'm almost looking forward to next month's parent/teacher conferences for my morning three-year-old class!
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