| |
|
|
Ask Dr. Sue
PRESCHOOL
Dr. Sue,
My son will soon be turning 4 and will be attending
preschool in the fall. Do you have any suggestions
on how to prepare him for the transition ahead?
Also, what should I look for in choosing a preschool?
Should I expect that he learn some beginning academics?
Is preschool a necessary part of a child's education?
Would he be considered behind without it? Any tips
and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Mom
Dear Mom,
Preschool can be a valuable asset for many children.
Most of the studies regarding the benefits of preschool
education involved children who were being raised in
poverty; for those children there were definite gains in
achievement test and IQ test scores that lasted at least
for a year or two. Those types of gains tended to fade
away over time, but when adults who had attended
programs such as Head Start were evaluated, fewer of
them had ever been in special education, fewer had ever
been held back a year in school, and more of the girls
(but not the boys) had graduated from high school.
Men had their own enduring benefits, though; overall,
program participants had higher monthly salaries, more
of them owned their own homes, and fewer of them had
been arrested.
For children who are not being raised in poverty, the
benefits of preschool are not as well-documented.
I believe that attending preschool could offer the
following to your son:
-
A chance to be around other adults
who have different expectations and different styles
than his parents.
-
An opportunity to socialize with
other children of the same age.
-
A stimulating environment, with the
opportunity to learn new things each day.
-
The chance to create things that he
can be proud of, such as art work, or papers that
were done well.
-
An introduction to routine and
structure.
It is not necessary for a child to attend
preschool to be exposed to these things, however.
A parent who does not work outside the home can
consciously plan to include all of these things in their
child's life. An excellent childcare program or
sitter can do the same (but to be realistic, many do
not). Take a look at your child's typical day, and
if it appears lacking in several of the benefits listed
above, preschool is probably a good idea. On the
other hand, if your child can meet these goals at home,
he will certainly not be behind the other children who
went to preschool.
Choosing the right preschool involves several steps.
First, you need to decide how "academic" you want the
school to be. Educators seem to be divided into
two groups on this issue. Some feel that preschool
should be a lot like kindergarten, and others feel that
four-year-olds are not developmentally ready to be
treated that way, and that they benefit most from a more
loosely structured, self-directed but highly stimulating
environment. You'll have to decide for yourself
which philosophy you favor, keeping in mind the
personality and activity level of your child and your
own goals.
Once you have decided which type of preschool you're
looking for, start calling those that are available in
your area. Ask about their teaching philosophy for
preschoolers, what the cost is, how many days per week
your child would attend, and whether the days are half
or full-days. (Full days at this age are usually
too tiring.) Ask about the class size. A
ratio of 10 students to one teacher is superb; anything
more than 16 students per teacher is too high.
Next, arrange an interview. Inspect the setting:
is it clean, bright, cheerful and not too cluttered? Do
you see anything that seems unsafe? Are the
children happily engaged in activities? Does the
teacher interact with them in a warm and friendly
manner? What sort of activities are offered?
Ask about the discipline policy, and the sick-child
policy. Find out what kind of parental involvement
is required/encouraged/expected. What are the
qualifications of the staff?
Finally, listen to your instincts. If a preschool
just doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
Once you've decided on a setting, preferably by
springtime, prepare your son in a gradual way to accept
the whole idea. Point the school out to him
frequently, calling it "your school." If he knows
someone who attended the same preschool, tell him "that
used to be Jimmy's school, and now it's YOUR school."
Play preschool with him: buy a little blackboard,
felt board, magnetic letters, and/or musical
instruments, and each time you play with them, say "Lets
play Preschool now." You can also look for and
read books about children going to preschool.
Be prepared for an adjustment period at first, and don't
be surprised if tears erupt at the last minute, even if
he was enthused earlier. Its best to ignore the
tears, say a cheerful goodbye, and then have your own
emotional response somewhere else! When he comes
home, show him how proud you are of his papers. Be
sure to post some on the refrigerator or the wall, and
let him hear you telling others (especially family
members) about them. Have him overhear you telling
younger siblings that they're not old enough to go to
school yet, but when they're big like he is, they'll get
to go, too. Talk to his teacher briefly at least once a
week; she is your biggest ally in making things go well.
 
|
|
