(Probably starting a debate, although it's not intentional.) I read an article today (same title) in a local parenting magazine while sitting in a lobby waiting on my son. I was a bit offended by it, because it was written as if to imply that kids can ONLY learn these things in a formal preschool class. :roll: 1. How to behave at school - postponing their natural impulses in a chaotic environment (how to sit still, take turns, etc.) 2. How to ask for help - because asking mom for help is too easy, and kids need to learn how to ask someone else 3. How to investigate & explore - because kids in a preschool setting are in a state of constant playtime with almost unlimited resources (the example given was using kitchen measuring cups in a sandbox to naturally learn about math) 4. How to make friends - learning to settle differences outside of playdate settings, so that someone isn't mediating and teaching a child how to settle differences (learning it on their own).... which, incidentally, I believe is the exact opposite of what preschools SHOULD be doing! 5. How to be independent - because parents are so rushed that they do everything for little junior, making him almost helpless when he goes off to kindergarten; but in a preschool classroom, teachers are so busy with the chaos that children are forced to learn how to button their own coats and open their own juice boxes Does anyone else see anything seriously wrong with this??? Yeah, I know even some homeschoolers advocate going to formal preschool, perhaps for some of the reasons above, but I don't, and I believe all those things should be taught at home whether a child goes to preschool or not! :shock: My older son was in preschool very briefly, and it was a horrible experience. He had nightmares for 4 months after we pulled him out.
It sums up how our culture feels about children-they are a burden so we force them to grow up in preschool. My 8 year old will still burst into a fit of screams and tears if anyone mentions public school and his name in the same sentence! There is nothing on that list that I can't teach my kids at home.
Well, I do agree with point #1: Preschool does teach them how to behave in school. I am teaching my child how to behave outside of institutions and in the real world. I have to add something else... In point #1 we are postponing their natural impulses in a chaotic environment but in point #5 they learning to become independent because of the chaos in the classroom...? It's kind of contradictory, isn't it?
I agree with you. My kids ask for help and they aren't remotely shy about asking someone who isn't me for help when someone else is around. I think our church attendance helps them to practice the sitting still/waiting turns/getting in line thing. We don't do much of that at home. :lol: I will say that prior to having children I worked in a daycare center that went through kindergarten. I was the head teacher of the 2yr olds and most of my days at home with four kids are way more chaotic than the controlled environment of my classroom with 12 kids was. Yes I required independence of my kids - taught it to them though, didn't just expect them to know it. But I expect the same level of independence of my own children. I have one child that I think might actually benefit from formal preschool setting but I don't have the energy to jump through the hoops our local head start requires before enrollment and we don't have the money to put him in something private (or I absolutely would). In general though I don't think it's necessary at all. None of my kids have ever been in preschool and church is the only classroom setting they've ever had.
I always get grumpy when I read stories akin to this one as the state of the classroom is always exactly what the writer needs it to be. If they are again asking for more money, suddenly our classrooms are "desolate places with empty shelves and downtrodden children" but when we are being told that our own abilities as parents are lacking the classroom becomes "a haven of thought and exploration filled with knowledge and compassion". Bah.
It's just never occurred to me before. *shrug* I've made a lot of connections in information in my lifetimes, but this was never one of the. lol. Then again, maybe I just don't bother investing much thought into public schools. :lol:
:lol: I get that. Let's say that I invest much thought into government and in how it uses "it's for the children" to increase taxes, or vote in favor of lotteries or, a new one where I live, legalize gambling! All this while we have the lowest test scores of all the states, but it is okay because "we" are experts at providing an enriched educational and social environment for your children! :roll: Yeah, I definitely think about it.
Crazy. Sorry, I just found this thread. Why do so many people think that kids can only learn successful behavior in a public/private school setting. There are too many variables. My son does not learn well in a noisy environment. How do they expect kids like that to do well in school? As far as parents doing too much for their kids, that may be true sometimes. I have been guilty in some areas, but in other areas not guilty. My son has been doing his own laundry since he was 11 or 12 I think. Parents will always struggle with where the line should be drawn on when to do things for their kids and when not to help them out. Teachers can also "help" too much. As far as kids being able to explore, many kids at home have many more opportunities to explore. My son is older and we didn't start homeschooling until 7th. He has had a lot of time to spend outside and hone his shooting skills. He has had more time to learn more in depth about his own interests. He also gets to go to the deer lease on school days (gasp!)
I worked in a preschool for over a year and It was part of the reason why I quit persuing my teaching degree. I had my own class of 10 preschool children, and I watched them all day. The only time the preschool "teacher" would come down was during preschool time for an hour and a half. The rest of the time it was just us. Even though we were with the children all day, we couldn't speak to the parents about how the day was. The preschool teacher would see all the parents in the office when they signed their kid out and tell them "X had a great day today!" even though that might not have been true. I couldn't tell them any accomplishments the kids had or any rough spots the children had. I would see the children cry during the day because they wanted their Mommas. I made the sorry mistake of bringing a child onto my lap and giving them a hug and letting them cry on me. "I'm not your Momma, but I am a Momma. WIll I do for awhile?" is what I used to say, and we would rock and talk softly. I got into alot of trouble for giving her a hug, and soothing her. It was the biggest bunch of Bull I ever heard. The parents caught up with me in Wal*Mart and thanked me for my compassion and care for their child. Preschool kids are limited in their game play: No games having to do with religion (No joke, don't even think about acting out the nativity or talking about it becaus enot everyone has the same religion), No Cops and robbers/Cowboys and Indians because that means that someone has to be a "bad guy". A story about this: A couple of little boys were playing cops and robbers quietly, without rough housing, during free play. I let them. I played thaty when I was a kid, whats the big deal? They weren't shooting each other! I found out later that the reason it wasn't allowed was because the little boy who was playing the "robber" was black. And the director didn't want him to think he has to be stereotyped into that type of career choice. Good Lord. I couldn't deal with the restriction and the lack of love and care. I do a much better job at home than a school could!
Wow, political correctness at it's best! My son once got in school suspension in 2nd grade. He and a friend were playing terrorist and good guy (cop or something). It was shortly after 911 and I fully understand that it probably wasn't a great idea. BUT, why didn't they speak to him and make him understand that it wasn't allowed. Did they have to treat him like a troublemaker at 7 years old. He didn't even tell me; he told my nephew and my nephew told me. I did go to the school and I asked them why he wasn't just spoken to at first. Then I also asked them to please call me if something he did would cause him to have in school suspension. I couldn't understand why they didn't call.
Well;, it wasn't Preschool exactly, but Head Start, and all my DGS learned was cuss words and "gang signs". Fortunately, his parents had the good sense to pull him out after half a year and have him come stay with me for the rest of "preschool".
