Good Preschool

What to look for in a good preschool?

What actually is a GOOD PRESCHOOL ?

Let's first take a look at the philosophy of childhood education.

"Pre" means before. "School" means a place for formal learning.

Therefore, preschool is a place, setting, or an environment for children to learn before being sent off to formal education.Today, it is currently recognized in most countries as a center / school / organization specially and strategically set up with the intention and goals to teach and educate children from 3 - 6 years old. Around the world, preschool is also referred to as Nursery, Day Care, or Kindergarten.

However, looking at the philosophy of early childhood education, a preschooler learns and absorbs knowledge and is well educated in a conducive environment where there is much creativities and interactions - not with a rigid structure, not necessary a center, an organization, or paid staff; although it is an avenue for mothers to have a couple of hours off while their kids are sent off to childcare or kindergarten.

Preschoolers may also be educated at home with loving parents or caregivers who intentionally create an environment for learning. In fact homeschooling with preschoolers is a natural and fun learning time for kids where they are motivated and "lured" into the joy of learning. No doubt, there are hidden lesson plans a Homeschool mum would have considered, though unknown to others.

A preschooler would spend most of his time playing and creating through various activities while learning precious lessons. A center or parent with Preschool lesson plans that expects children between 3 to 6 to sit still and listen for 45 minutes is NOT Preschool.

I would call that a Kill-Joy School.

Children at that young age, no doubt like to be in a small group, yet would prefer to work alone at their own pace and space. Rigidity are not friends of young children.

Play is the central learning focus of a preschooler. So a good Preschool should incorporate lots of children games and craft activities in the learning process.

Don't go away yet, read on....

Well, of course little children don't only play. Are you aware that kids have a natural & intuitive interest in books and delight in reading children's stories? Right from the age of 2s and 3s, a toddler would reach his hands out to grasp anything to read - perhaps beginning with a picture book. Look closely, and you'll find that he or she would be engrossed in turning the pages - no doubt it would be only for a few minutes. But in that few minutes, the little tot is like a sponge that soaks in much information. In the adult world, we call it reading.

Therefore from toddler-hood to childhood, a child learns and expands his brain in a non-structured and natural environment. This does not mean that we can do away with well thought-through Preschool Lesson Plans.

In short, preschool education can be summarized as intentionally enhancing a child's growth in his total and wholesome development through social interaction and preschool activities. This includes Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, Social, and very often neglected in the curriculum is the Spiritual. We can term it - P I E S

So, after all has been said, what is a Good Preschool and who makes good Kindergarten teachers? Mum and Dad at home - Fully devoted, fully committed 24/7 - who else can take their place? environment

Times have change! It is increasingly difficult for moms to stay home , let alone "teach"? Well, there are those who can't stay home for some reasons - but thanks to them, we have now a demand for Kindergarten teachers and therefore job opportunities for many. After all, Preschool teachers have spent substantial amount of time specializing in learning and training for a professional position to care for the little children. Works out well. So....

Here are some pointers to take note of:

• Great lesson plans and activities
  A good Preschool may be an organized center filled with well thought through schedules and lesson plans, or it can even be a home whose caregiver provides lots of materials for creativities; (Please note that lesson plans and activities are not solely worksheets and homework. More on this philosophy in the "Worksheet" section.)

• Safe Environment
  Many parents' great concern is the environment. Yes, the environment should be safe and comfortable, with wide spaces for movement and activities. Outdoor facilities are just as important for development of Gross motor skills and should not be overlooked especially for city dwellers where the lack or cost of space may be over prioritized at the expense of the child's development.

• Skilled Facilitators
  A good Preschool has skilled facilitators who are student centered and will encourage individual learning rather than teachers who are curriculum centered who cannot afford individual attention. Therefore, the smaller the class, the better. A skilled facilitator would know how to adjust her Preschool lesson plans and activities to cater to the child's learning experience.

• Interactive Learning
  Preschool is not just a time for fun and games. It is through games and activities that kids learn the alphabet, either through phonics or sight reading; numbers and simple operations through related stories and the use of concrete counters as in preschool math.

• Good Preschool Curriculum
  A good preschool would have an intentional strategy for teaching and learning, often known as preschool curriculum or some would refer it to a structured Preschool lesson plans and activities, though one needs to be aware of not being bound by rigid structure because kids grow at different pace and their needs differ.

  
  The curriculum should consider these various aspect of childhood development:

  • Knowledge and understanding of the world and its culture
  • Creative and aesthetic development through arts and crafts, music & drama
  • Physical development involving Gross and Fine Motor Skill
  • Analytical development- understanding the concept and applications of numbers
  • Personal, social and emotional development
  • Communication skills, learning to listen and interrupt gracefully

• Visit and Ask Questions
  If you visit a good interactive kindergarden for an hour or two, you may come away thinking that the center only lets the children play and not learn - especially if you have a traditional learning experience (which many of us were exposed to).

  A good Preschool lesson plans and activities strategy is not easily detected by parents who do a one day visit to a good Preschool center.Good preschool lesson plans and activities will only be proven over time. The best way to know is to ask different parents of their views and experiences. Ask the right questions to parents and to the principal of the school, trying to draw out the philosophy and dynamics of the Preschool.

• Display of Arts and Crafts
  Look around the Preschool classroom. Are there displays of the children's arts and crafts? Note: Children's art - and not teachers' or parents'. It is easy to detect who the master art designer is. If you see the wall filled with identical near perfect crafts, you know that the kids were stifled and not given ample opportunities to express themselves or that there were too much adult involvement.

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