Not happy with emergent curriculum..what is a buzzword that will get us more structure and learning?

[Anonymous]

I also felt this way and moved my DS at 4 to a preschool that had a reputation for strong K prep. And my DS completes at least one worksheet a day and could not be more proud to show me how well he wrote his letters or numbers or did his pattern matching correctly. It was the right thing for my kid and his teachers agreed it would be a good move for him. I whole heartedly agree that you should follow your gut and move your child.

[Anonymous]

Pp here. To specifically answer your question.. buzz words would be “more structured”. And when you do your tour look for 4 classrooms set up like a kindergarten with toys mostly put away except for like a play kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t listen to these ridiculous posters, the handwringing over anxious preschoolers completing reams of worksheets is just a reflection of parents worried other kids are outpacing their own. My child went to an academic preschool where they played but also spent an hour writing, reading (letter sounds) and adding small numbers. My child also *gasp* spent 30 minutes at home practicing phonics and a K math book daily. When did he play? The rest of the whole day! He missed absolutely nothing, and went into K reading chapter books. I really don’t get the Only Play thing with kids.

Ok, but what did he gain by going into K reading chapter books? That’s the point. Kids have the entire rest of their schooling to sit at desks and read. They have a very short time when they can play all day. Most of the kindergarten classrooms in Arlington don’t even have toys because there is no time in the day for playing; it’s all academics. Let the preschoolers play!

This is the problem: somehow there exists this idea that children who advance early aren’t playing and I’m honestly puzzled how this myth has survived so long. A four year old can learn how to read in 10 minutes a day. A year of that, and the child can read at a 2nd grade level. Preschool is the best time to learn. The child has no pressure and endless time. You know when the worst time to read begins? When they are sitting in a classroom with 26 other noisy children for 8 hours a day with a report card detailing their progress. If you don’t see the benefits for a young child to be able to pick up any book in their library and understand it independently, then we don’t share the same views on parenting. And that’s okay, that’s exactly why preschools offer different curricula.

NP. My child is at play based preschool- he likes it and we have no intention of moving. That being said, he loves us reading books to him at night and has expressed interest in being able to read the words himself. When you say a child can be taught to read in 10 minutes a day, do you have specific recommendations of how we could do this at home?

Yes. First, the only requirement to be able to read is the recognition of letters and the sound they make. Starting 4 (or 3.9 if your child already knows the letter sounds), start with simple CVC words (at-bat-cat-mat-hat). Repeat each sound individually and then run your finger under the word slowly while sounding out the word. Repeat for 10 minutes. Once the child knows them (a few weeks later sometimes) on to the next (pan-can-tan, etc.). Then you move to BOB books, then leveled readers, and finally chapter books. Ten minutes per day gives your child 60 hours of reading, which is exactly how long it takes a 4 year old to learn how to read at a second grade level (I say this to illustrate how painfully slow and inefficient learning to read in a classroom with 27 students and a teacher truly is). A parent teaching their child one-on-one before school is much less pressure. But unfortunately, all of the play-only PPs here will insist I am pressuring my child and making him anxious. Be warned, it will take away 10 minutes of your child’s daily play time!

you are generalizing your experiences to assume that every child can go from reading a bob book to be incapable of reading Magic tree House in just 10 minutes a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep seeing name-writing listed as some sort of meaningful milestone. Teaching kids to write their name by copying it over and over, before they understand anything about blending letter sounds into words, is worthless educationally and is just done to have something to show parents. If your kid can't read or write "dog," teaching her to write "Larleena" is a waste of time.

there are a lot of practical applications in school for learning how to read and write your own name so that's usually why it's the first thing that is taught.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t listen to these ridiculous posters, the handwringing over anxious preschoolers completing reams of worksheets is just a reflection of parents worried other kids are outpacing their own. My child went to an academic preschool where they played but also spent an hour writing, reading (letter sounds) and adding small numbers. My child also *gasp* spent 30 minutes at home practicing phonics and a K math book daily. When did he play? The rest of the whole day! He missed absolutely nothing, and went into K reading chapter books. I really don’t get the Only Play thing with kids.

Ok, but what did he gain by going into K reading chapter books? That’s the point. Kids have the entire rest of their schooling to sit at desks and read. They have a very short time when they can play all day. Most of the kindergarten classrooms in Arlington don’t even have toys because there is no time in the day for playing; it’s all academics. Let the preschoolers play!

This is the problem: somehow there exists this idea that children who advance early aren’t playing and I’m honestly puzzled how this myth has survived so long. A four year old can learn how to read in 10 minutes a day. A year of that, and the child can read at a 2nd grade level. Preschool is the best time to learn. The child has no pressure and endless time. You know when the worst time to read begins? When they are sitting in a classroom with 26 other noisy children for 8 hours a day with a report card detailing their progress. If you don’t see the benefits for a young child to be able to pick up any book in their library and understand it independently, then we don’t share the same views on parenting. And that’s okay, that’s exactly why preschools offer different curricula.

NP. My child is at play based preschool- he likes it and we have no intention of moving. That being said, he loves us reading books to him at night and has expressed interest in being able to read the words himself. When you say a child can be taught to read in 10 minutes a day, do you have specific recommendations of how we could do this at home?

Yes. First, the only requirement to be able to read is the recognition of letters and the sound they make. Starting 4 (or 3.9 if your child already knows the letter sounds), start with simple CVC words (at-bat-cat-mat-hat). Repeat each sound individually and then run your finger under the word slowly while sounding out the word. Repeat for 10 minutes. Once the child knows them (a few weeks later sometimes) on to the next (pan-can-tan, etc.). Then you move to BOB books, then leveled readers, and finally chapter books. Ten minutes per day gives your child 60 hours of reading, which is exactly how long it takes a 4 year old to learn how to read at a second grade level (I say this to illustrate how painfully slow and inefficient learning to read in a classroom with 27 students and a teacher truly is). A parent teaching their child one-on-one before school is much less pressure. But unfortunately, all of the play-only PPs here will insist I am pressuring my child and making him anxious. Be warned, it will take away 10 minutes of your child’s daily play time!

you are generalizing your experiences to assume that every child can go from reading a bob book to be incapable of reading Magic tree House in just 10 minutes a day.

Yes, you should definitely not challenge your child with ten minutes of reading per day, because who knows what they are capable of?

[Anonymous]

Don’t change preschools. You can teach your child to read and write his name. It’s not that hard.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to play the long game here. Speaking as someone with a high schooler and middle schooler, the most important goal for kids in preschool and K is to learn how to learn.

The kids who got lots of workbooks, structure and one-way direction are often the ones who have the hardest time extending, making connections, and developing original analyses. They might be reading “Harry Potter” in first grade, but they’re not organizing their own neighborhood Quiddich league, with codified rules and uniforms. The ones who were encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and goof around are the ones now tinkering in the MakerSpace, leading class discussions, approaching teachers with questions, and generally saying “Yeah, but what if...?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you need to play the long game here. Speaking as someone with a high schooler and middle schooler, the most important goal for kids in preschool and K is to learn how to learn.

The kids who got lots of workbooks, structure and one-way direction are often the ones who have the hardest time extending, making connections, and developing original analyses. They might be reading “Harry Potter” in first grade, but they’re not organizing their own neighborhood Quiddich league, with codified rules and uniforms. The ones who were encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and goof around are the ones now tinkering in the MakerSpace, leading class discussions, approaching teachers with questions, and generally saying “Yeah, but what if...?”

You know the details on each type of preschool that your kids befriended and now know this to be true of all kids in structured preschools? Or are you assuming that the kids who read Harry Potter in first grade went to structured preschools and know can't possibly be as creative as your kids?

My kid isn't in preschool yet; I've got no dog in the game. This just seems really specious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you need to play the long game here. Speaking as someone with a high schooler and middle schooler, the most important goal for kids in preschool and K is to learn how to learn.

The kids who got lots of workbooks, structure and one-way direction are often the ones who have the hardest time extending, making connections, and developing original analyses. They might be reading “Harry Potter” in first grade, but they’re not organizing their own neighborhood Quiddich league, with codified rules and uniforms. The ones who were encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and goof around are the ones now tinkering in the MakerSpace, leading class discussions, approaching teachers with questions, and generally saying “Yeah, but what if...?”

+100 you want your kids to achieve because they are curious, not because it wins them praise from an adult. We try to teach our kids that the purpose of school is a means to an end - give them the tools to do whatever they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t listen to these ridiculous posters, the handwringing over anxious preschoolers completing reams of worksheets is just a reflection of parents worried other kids are outpacing their own. My child went to an academic preschool where they played but also spent an hour writing, reading (letter sounds) and adding small numbers. My child also *gasp* spent 30 minutes at home practicing phonics and a K math book daily. When did he play? The rest of the whole day! He missed absolutely nothing, and went into K reading chapter books. I really don’t get the Only Play thing with kids.

Ok, but what did he gain by going into K reading chapter books? That’s the point. Kids have the entire rest of their schooling to sit at desks and read. They have a very short time when they can play all day. Most of the kindergarten classrooms in Arlington don’t even have toys because there is no time in the day for playing; it’s all academics. Let the preschoolers play!

This is the problem: somehow there exists this idea that children who advance early aren’t playing and I’m honestly puzzled how this myth has survived so long. A four year old can learn how to read in 10 minutes a day. A year of that, and the child can read at a 2nd grade level. Preschool is the best time to learn. The child has no pressure and endless time. You know when the worst time to read begins? When they are sitting in a classroom with 26 other noisy children for 8 hours a day with a report card detailing their progress. If you don’t see the benefits for a young child to be able to pick up any book in their library and understand it independently, then we don’t share the same views on parenting. And that’s okay, that’s exactly why preschools offer different curricula.

NP. My child is at play based preschool- he likes it and we have no intention of moving. That being said, he loves us reading books to him at night and has expressed interest in being able to read the words himself. When you say a child can be taught to read in 10 minutes a day, do you have specific recommendations of how we could do this at home?

Yes. First, the only requirement to be able to read is the recognition of letters and the sound they make. Starting 4 (or 3.9 if your child already knows the letter sounds), start with simple CVC words (at-bat-cat-mat-hat). Repeat each sound individually and then run your finger under the word slowly while sounding out the word. Repeat for 10 minutes. Once the child knows them (a few weeks later sometimes) on to the next (pan-can-tan, etc.). Then you move to BOB books, then leveled readers, and finally chapter books. Ten minutes per day gives your child 60 hours of reading, which is exactly how long it takes a 4 year old to learn how to read at a second grade level (I say this to illustrate how painfully slow and inefficient learning to read in a classroom with 27 students and a teacher truly is). A parent teaching their child one-on-one before school is much less pressure. But unfortunately, all of the play-only PPs here will insist I am pressuring my child and making him anxious. Be warned, it will take away 10 minutes of your child’s daily play time!

you are generalizing your experiences to assume that every child can go from reading a bob book to be incapable of reading Magic tree House in just 10 minutes a day.

Yes, you should definitely not challenge your child with ten minutes of reading per day, because who knows what they are capable of?

10 minutes a day is better than nothing but it's completely unrealistic to assume that most kids can make 2.5 years of growth in on year on ten minutes of practice avday. You've only done this once so it's not like you are an expert

[Anonymous]

Creative curriculum
Tools of the mind
Both were a good blend for our kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you need to play the long game here. Speaking as someone with a high schooler and middle schooler, the most important goal for kids in preschool and K is to learn how to learn.

The kids who got lots of workbooks, structure and one-way direction are often the ones who have the hardest time extending, making connections, and developing original analyses. They might be reading “Harry Potter” in first grade, but they’re not organizing their own neighborhood Quiddich league, with codified rules and uniforms. The ones who were encouraged to experiment, collaborate, and goof around are the ones now tinkering in the MakerSpace, leading class discussions, approaching teachers with questions, and generally saying “Yeah, but what if...?”

When did “organizing their own Quiddich league” (lol) become a goal in public education? By all means, sounds fun. Very creative! But I think it’s a bit BS. And, ha, acquiring knowledge does not prevent you from asking “what if” or “approaching teachers with questions.” I often see children immersed into Harry Potter or magical worlds (a dime a dozen nowadays) and yet they don’t know basic geography. I love creative children, but they must be taught as well!