Help: What does "play-based" even mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.

[Anonymous]

Here's a description of Appletree's curriculum:

http://www.appletreeinstitute.org/every-child-ready/current-products/

It doesn't sound all that different from what a poster above is claiming as "play-based" (the highly teacher-directed restaurant scene) although maybe there's more free time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.

+1 (Yes, anxiety.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think people are misunderstanding what is meant by "play" in this context. It doesn't mean they let the kids loose to just do whatever they want all day, like they do at recess. It is used more to distinguish between a program that has you draw a page of "A"s, then circle all the capital and small As on a sheet, or circle pictures of items that start with the A sound, then move on to working through addition problems, etc. it is not a new term---my 18 year old went to a play-based preschool back in her day. She also loved doing workbooks at home, so I didn't need her to do more of that kind of thing at school. The important thing is that the kids think they are "playing" all day at school, whereas in reality, the teachers are encouraging specific activities that have set goals of what the kids are supposed to learn from them. So yes, there will be some activities they have to do that they don't particularly want to do, but there will be other activities with much more freedom. At our preschool, there were dress up clothes in one area, blocks in another, puzzles in another, a water table and/or sand table, cars and trucks, an easel with paint, etc. They would have some blocks of time that they could choose to play with whatever they wanted (and had to learn to wait their turn if someone else was already using those items) and other times they would do a teacher-directed activity like a craft project or story time. Play-based doesn't mean all play, all the time.[/quote]


I think this is what most people have in mind when they think of the term play based, but for those schools that take the term seriously, there are no teacher directed activities at all (outside of music and maybe a story).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

I still want to know how 3 and 4 year olds, the vast majority of who
cannot write or read, do worksheets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

I still want to know how 3 and 4 year olds, the vast majority of who
cannot write or read, do worksheets?

They circle, they select, given multiple choice type of questions, but the problem is when they are corrected in a serious way, by a teacher, when they are told something is not correct. This was a practice with 3-year-olds. Plus, it came with a huge price tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

I still want to know how 3 and 4 year olds, the vast majority of who
cannot write or read, do worksheets?

That's how the schools try to teach reading, writing, and math -- through the use of worksheets.

They have kids write the same things over and over and fill in math sheets. The kids do memorize a lot of things, but they are way too young to truly understand things conceptually. It can really F**& up their relationship with learning.

[Anonymous]

"Play-based" = $35,000 per year (not including aftercare).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Play-based" = $35,000 per year (not including aftercare).

Where do you get this from? There are plenty of part-time church based play based preschools that are around $250/month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Play-based" = $35,000 per year (not including aftercare).

NP here. Total BS. We attended a wonderful, no-name play-based preschool, after almost sending DC to a Montessori school.

Montessori is great in many ways, but it is NOT play-based. They are quite rigid in stating that children should NOT play with the manipulative-- they are only to be used a certain way and God forbid if they start using their imaginations and pretend with them. A good play-based school will encourage imaginative play.

I'm so glad I followed my gut. The play-based school was a much better for for my imaginative, play-oriented child. DC's WPPSI's were in the 99 percentile and above, and DC was admitted to every private school we applied to. DC is very happy at a Big 3 that is also a great fit.

But, to go back to play-based, our no-name preschool was indeed church-based. Tuition was about $250/month for two days a week (2 year olds), $350 for 3 days a week (3 year olds) and $500 for 5 days a week (4 year olds). Most of the other play-based we looked at were also in that range.

Granted, these schools only went from 8:30-12:00 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

I still want to know how 3 and 4 year olds, the vast majority of who
cannot write or read, do worksheets?

That's how the schools try to teach reading, writing, and math -- through the use of worksheets.

They have kids write the same things over and over and fill in math sheets. The kids do memorize a lot of things, but they are way too young to truly understand things conceptually. It can really F**& up their relationship with learning.

are you sure this is preschool and not K? none of the children (even the advanced ones) could have done worksheets like that at 3.

[Anonymous]

Even art projects can reflect the philosophy of the school. Are the kids shown a sample project made by the teacher and then given the supplies to make their own (which, of course, will be sloppy and cockeyed by comparison), or are they given a collection of raw materials and told to make them into whatever they want? The first approach can damage self-esteem, whereas the latter fosters creativity and imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is that if a kid comes from a family where any parent even bothers to think about the distinction of play-based preschool vs. academic preschool, then she will do just fine in either one, or she will do just fine with no preschool at all.

It just doesn't matter, people.

More on this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/01/how_important_is_preschool_if_you_are_researching_early_education_philosophies.html

The Slate article, like most "popular reading," is rather simplistic.

More in depth studies demonstrate that "academic preschools" that use rote learning, memorization, and drilling (endless worksheets, Kumon, etc.) for preschool age kids are detrimental. They create learning anxiety, reduce imagination and problem-solving initiative, and increase aversion to school.


Oh come on. What preschool is giving four year olds "endless" worksheets?

Thins who proudly identify themselves as academic preschools. And there are many parents who are anxious, but ignorant and think that the worksheets and drilling are giving their children a head start on learning.

I still want to know how 3 and 4 year olds, the vast majority of who
cannot write or read, do worksheets?

That's how the schools try to teach reading, writing, and math -- through the use of worksheets.

They have kids write the same things over and over and fill in math sheets. The kids do memorize a lot of things, but they are way too young to truly understand things conceptually. It can really F**& up their relationship with learning.

are you sure this is preschool and not K? none of the children (even the advanced ones) could have done worksheets like that at 3.

Since you are so skeptical, why don't you do your own research? Google academic preschool, then go visit the schools who advertise themselves that way instead of being an arm-chair skeptic who clearly has no clue.