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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a preschool teacher and I vote for P2. A class with 20 kids is much more chaotic and your child may get lost in the shuffle of dealing with the extra behavior problems that could come with a larger class.

I'm a fan of play-based learning. Take a look at their dress-up area and dramatic play. Do they let the kids paint freely or is there always an assigned "craft" that looks more like the work of an assistant than the child themselves? Finally, go with your gut when you are face to face with the director or doing a walk through. You want warmth and caring, versus strict and academic.[/quote]

Strict and academic works well for some kids like mine who then thrived in school as they were well prepared.   The kids who were in play based with any academics really struggled.[/quote]

Play based learning is different than just playing. Play based learning educates the child in the same areas as an academic/worksheet heavy classroom. Letters (and sounds), numbers and counting, colors and shapes--all those are taught just as well as with a worksheet, but in a way that a child can make connections in their head and using all their senses. The bonus is that they aren't burnt out by worksheets when they arrive to Elementary school. Of course some kids like worksheets, but many don't and those kids can end up with low self esteem if they aren't good at it, setting them up to feel like a failure before they even start K. Play based learning absolutely has structure as well. I think you're thinking of those daycares that are just child-minding (while some daycares have strong curricula, of course). I used to work at a preschool with worksheets and I saw some kids who became dejected when they couldn't trace letters well. There's no reason to have that experience at 3 or 4. [/quote]

Yeah, play-based is the way to go.  My kid is in a play-based program, and they learn the alphabet/sounds, numbers/counting, colors, shapes, sorting, patterns, basic knowledge about their world, etc.  They play games, do science experiments and "cooking" projects to learn about making predictions and to observe the physical properties of things, and lots of field trips to museums and children's theater.  They also have lots of time for free play, with lots of blocks, a play kitchen, dress-up clothes, dolls, books, puzzles, and drawing materials available.  The kids are all well-prepared for kindergarten.

And I checked the crafts at all the places we looked at.  I love that the center we are at is decorated with projects that were clearly made by kids--imperfect and quirky--and not by teachers worried about everything looking nice.  It was a major factor for me, along with outdoor space and affectionate teachers.  [/quote]

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