Preschool is an opportunity for growth:
Preschool prepares children for kindergarten:
As kindergarten becomes more academic, many
parents look to preschool to launch their child on the path to success in
school. At the same time, parents may worry that the current trend to focus on
pre-math and pre-literacy skills in preschool cuts into important play time and
pushes a child to grow up too fast. It’s a confusing issue, especially with
friends and family offering different opinions and advice.
Preschool promotes social and emotional development:
In order to learn, a young child needs to
feel cared for and secure with a teacher or caregiver. A 3-year-old child is
able to spend time away from parents and build trusting relationships with
adults outside the family. High-quality preschool programs nurture warm
relationships among children, teachers and parents. And teachers build a close
personal connection with each child in their care.
Children thrive when there is consistency
in care between home and school. In high-quality preschools, teachers value
parents as the experts on their children. Parents get daily reports on their
child’s activities and regular meetings are scheduled for more in-depth
conferences with staff. Teachers strive to understand and respect parents’
child-rearing goals and values.
Children get to make choices:
Children have several choices of
activities; a child who is wandering aimlessly is encouraged to choose one that
interests him. Teachers are alert to a child who can’t figure out how to enter
other children’s play and may offer him suggestions on ways to join the group.
Children
learn to take care of themselves and others:
Children’s sense of competence and
self-worth grow as they learn to take care of themselves and help others.
Teachers appeal to a young child’s desire to engage in “real work” by offering
him chances to help out in the classroom, for example, by setting the table at
snack time or feeding the classroom hamster. Children are expected to wash
their hands before snack time, keep personal belongings in their “cubby,” and
put away toys before moving to a new activity.
Teachers also encourage a child to view
herself as a resource for other children. For example, a teacher might ask a
child who’s more competent at pouring water to help a child who is learning. Or
she might ask a “veteran” preschooler to show a newcomer where the sand toys
are kept.
Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills:
Preschool-age children’s language skills
are nurtured in a “language-rich” environment. Between the ages of 3 and 5, a
child’s vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words, and her sentences become
longer and more complex. In a conversational manner, and without dominating the
discussion, teachers help children stretch their language skills by asking
thought-provoking questions and introducing new vocabulary during science, art,
snack time, and other activities. Children have many opportunities to sing,
talk about favorite read-aloud books, and act out stories.
Preschool teachers nurture a child’s curiosity:
Teachers observe, ask questions and listen
to children’s ideas during these activities — “correct” answers are not the
goal. To nurture their curiosity and motivation to learn, teachers use
children’s interests and ideas to create activities. And even a simple, chance
event – such as a child’s discovery of a snail in the outdoor play area — can
be turned into an exciting opportunity to learn.
Preschool-age children have active
imaginations and learn through make-believe play. Teachers know that the line
between reality and fantasy is often not clear to a young child. Sometimes this
results in fears of monsters under the bed. But imagination also fuels
learning. For example, when a group of children creates a make-believe pet
store, they will practice many social and cognitive skills as they assign roles
to each child, figure out categories of pet supplies and how to organize them,
make signs to label products; help their “customers” select the right shampoo
or cat toy; and take “money” for merchandize.
Preschool activities boost pre-math and literacy skills:
Young children show growing interest in
pre-math and pre-literacy skills. They are curious and observant, and they want
to be competent in the skills that their families and society value — such as
reading the instructions for assembling a toy, or selecting the correct bills
or coins to pay for a purchase. To prepare children for the academic demands of
kindergarten, teachers offer a wide variety of games and activities that help
children acquire the pre- math and literacy skills.
Singing an alphabet song while following
along in a picture book builds a child’s awareness of the connections between
alphabet letters and word sounds. Learning rhymes and chants helps them to
notice the distinct sounds within words. Engaging children in a discussion
about an exciting read-aloud story encourages their listening, comprehension,
and expressive language skills. Playing with magnetic alphabet letters may
inspire a child to ask a teacher to help her write the first letter of her
name.
Matching games, sorting games, counting
games, and board games build children’s understanding of number, categories and
sequence, which supports later math learning. Putting together puzzles
encourages children to notice patterns, plan ahead and problem-solve.
To sustain children’s excitement and
motivation for learning, high-quality preschool and child care programs
introduce early literacy and math skills not as isolated exercises, but in the
context of activities that are interesting and meaningful to children.
Preschool helps develop motor skills:
Physical coordination improves, allowing
the child to explore her environment — and to challenge herself-in new ways.
Young children are in motion for a good part of the day. High-quality preschool
programs provide several opportunities daily for children to run, climb, and
play active games. Activities are offered to help children develop fine motor
skills, such as threading beads or cutting with scissors. And children are
challenged through a variety of activities to build their hand-eye coordination
and balance.
Preschool is an opportunity for growth:
For many children, preschool is their first
experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children. It’s
an opportunity to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation
for learning that will occur in elementary school.
Preschool prepares children for kindergarten:
As kindergarten becomes more academic, many
parents look to preschool to launch their child on the path to success in
school. At the same time, parents may worry that the current trend to focus on
pre-math and pre-literacy skills in preschool cuts into important play time and
pushes a child to grow up too fast. It’s a confusing issue, especially with
friends and family offering different opinions and advice.
Preschool promotes social and emotional development:
In order to learn, a young child needs to
feel cared for and secure with a teacher or caregiver. A 3-year-old child is
able to spend time away from parents and build trusting relationships with
adults outside the family. High-quality preschool programs nurture warm
relationships among children, teachers and parents. And teachers build a close
personal connection with each child in their care.
Children thrive when there is consistency
in care between home and school. In high-quality preschools, teachers value
parents as the experts on their children. Parents get daily reports on their
child’s activities and regular meetings are scheduled for more in-depth
conferences with staff. Teachers strive to understand and respect parents’
child-rearing goals and values.
Children get to make choices:
Children have several choices of
activities; a child who is wandering aimlessly is encouraged to choose one that
interests him. Teachers are alert to a child who can’t figure out how to enter
other children’s play and may offer him suggestions on ways to join the group.
Children
learn to take care of themselves and others:
Children’s sense of competence and
self-worth grow as they learn to take care of themselves and help others.
Teachers appeal to a young child’s desire to engage in “real work” by offering
him chances to help out in the classroom, for example, by setting the table at
snack time or feeding the classroom hamster. Children are expected to wash
their hands before snack time, keep personal belongings in their “cubby,” and
put away toys before moving to a new activity.
Teachers also encourage a child to view
herself as a resource for other children. For example, a teacher might ask a
child who’s more competent at pouring water to help a child who is learning. Or
she might ask a “veteran” preschooler to show a newcomer where the sand toys
are kept.
Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills:
Preschool-age children’s language skills
are nurtured in a “language-rich” environment. Between the ages of 3 and 5, a
child’s vocabulary grows from 900 to 2,500 words, and her sentences become
longer and more complex. In a conversational manner, and without dominating the
discussion, teachers help children stretch their language skills by asking
thought-provoking questions and introducing new vocabulary during science, art,
snack time, and other activities. Children have many opportunities to sing,
talk about favorite read-aloud books, and act out stories.
Preschool teachers nurture a child’s curiosity:
Teachers observe, ask questions and listen
to children’s ideas during these activities — “correct” answers are not the
goal. To nurture their curiosity and motivation to learn, teachers use
children’s interests and ideas to create activities. And even a simple, chance
event – such as a child’s discovery of a snail in the outdoor play area — can
be turned into an exciting opportunity to learn.
Preschool-age children have active
imaginations and learn through make-believe play. Teachers know that the line
between reality and fantasy is often not clear to a young child. Sometimes this
results in fears of monsters under the bed. But imagination also fuels
learning. For example, when a group of children creates a make-believe pet
store, they will practice many social and cognitive skills as they assign roles
to each child, figure out categories of pet supplies and how to organize them,
make signs to label products; help their “customers” select the right shampoo
or cat toy; and take “money” for merchandize.
Preschool activities boost pre-math and literacy skills:
Young children show growing interest in
pre-math and pre-literacy skills. They are curious and observant, and they want
to be competent in the skills that their families and society value — such as
reading the instructions for assembling a toy, or selecting the correct bills
or coins to pay for a purchase. To prepare children for the academic demands of
kindergarten, teachers offer a wide variety of games and activities that help
children acquire the pre- math and literacy skills.
Singing an alphabet song while following
along in a picture book builds a child’s awareness of the connections between
alphabet letters and word sounds. Learning rhymes and chants helps them to
notice the distinct sounds within words. Engaging children in a discussion
about an exciting read-aloud story encourages their listening, comprehension,
and expressive language skills. Playing with magnetic alphabet letters may
inspire a child to ask a teacher to help her write the first letter of her
name.
Matching games, sorting games, counting
games, and board games build children’s understanding of number, categories and
sequence, which supports later math learning. Putting together puzzles
encourages children to notice patterns, plan ahead and problem-solve.
To sustain children’s excitement and
motivation for learning, high-quality preschool and child care programs
introduce early literacy and math skills not as isolated exercises, but in the
context of activities that are interesting and meaningful to children.
Preschool helps develop motor skills:
Physical coordination improves, allowing
the child to explore her environment — and to challenge herself-in new ways.
Young children are in motion for a good part of the day. High-quality preschool
programs provide several opportunities daily for children to run, climb, and
play active games. Activities are offered to help children develop fine motor
skills, such as threading beads or cutting with scissors. And children are
challenged through a variety of activities to build their hand-eye coordination
and balance.
Visit us @ http://www.bloominglotusplayschool.com/
Visit us @ http://www.bloominglotusplayschool.com/
