tools of the mind in dcps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why dont you all just look at the independent research regarding tools of the mind? I provided the link up thread. It is does absolutely NOTHING. It sounds good but it does nothing. The idea of teaching kids to "play" is absolutely ridiculous. Grandma's assessment up thread only illustrates the research.

What's interesting to me about this critique of play is that it's exactly what I'm paying for--along with about 35 other families--at our kid's preschool. Play is how preschoolers are SUPPOSED to learn.

It's easy to take this public preschool offering as a free headstart on college prep or something. The SES advantage in learning is not just about extra reading and talking, it's that kids who are playing in preschool will have built a foundation for learning by the time they reach Kindergarten. A kid can't learn to read, write or add numbers until they learn basic skills like sitting still, taking turns, cooperation, trying again after failure, delayed gratification, curiosity, investigation, and more that I can't think of.

For a 3-4 year old, these skills are learned in PLAY. They've got the next 20 years to sit behind a desk and be graded on their output; for this point in their lives, play is where it's at. i'm feeling sorry for these kids (and their parents) who are expected to show some kind of academic achievement when they haven't had the joy of playing Red Rover--nor learned its objectives and rules, the necessity for teamwork, grit, physical fortitude and taking turns.

It's exactly the sort of thing that's missing for lower income kids whose parents can't afford daycare or preschool, and I think upper SES families do a disservice to their children if they're anxious to skip it. Yes, they'll pick up skills inactivities with their parents, but there's nothing like playing with other kids--it's an essential part of development.

The downside for DCPS is that they're required by law to assess and benchmark learning. It seems Tools of the Mind may require more of teachers than they're prepared to give. But we're talking two years in the life of these kids. It's worth more to some than others but if you're posting in this forum, you're more than likely already giving your kids what they need. They'll make it through TOTM unscathed. It sounds like the worst outcome is boredom.

[Anonymous]

^^Well-said. I couldn't agree more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The story that Grandma tells is fairly accurate in my daughters classroom too. Her teacher doesn't like TOTM either and says it doesn't teach them what they need to know. My daughters teacher is Highly Effective. So what gives? My daughters teacher isn't the most creative either. She's an older teacher and doesn't care for much of the chaos that play involves. She is highly organized and I can tell that a lot of activity bothers her. Clearly, all TOTM schools and teachers aren't the same. I feel that my daughter is academically and socially growing.

Well, I also teach TOTM, like the curriculum well enough to implement it with a decent amount of fidelity, and am Highly Effective. This gets back to an earlier point someone made about the quality of the teacher and how they implement any curriculum.

Anonymous wrote:Why dont you all just look at the independent research regarding tools of the mind? I provided the link up thread. It is does absolutely NOTHING. It sounds good but it does nothing. The idea of teaching kids to "play" is absolutely ridiculous. Grandma's assessment up thread only illustrates the research.

I don't believe one link that you googled is substantial evidence to claim that a curriculum does nothing. Is TOTM better than other curriculums? I don't think so, but it's not without merit. Also, you're clearly missing the point of the curriculum, and really of early childhood, if you think the curriculum is designed to teach kids how to play.