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01.03.12, 13:41 PM General Topics
30 replies
Can someone please tell me why you'd send your kids to a "play-based" preschool? Do people think that "regular" preschools aren't mostly about playing, too, but use play to teach them actual skills? Are play-based schools for kids who have weaker verbal skills? I am genuinely curious whether there is actual benefit for most kids, when all preschools are, in a sense, play-based. My 2YO goes to a "regular" preschool and can spell his (long) name, but does art and dramatics and tumbling, etc., every day. Please enlighten -- I admit I'm uninformed! [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
General Topics 01.03.12, 01:41 PM Flag
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many people don't think there's a huge value to any instruction in the preschool years; for them it's all about socialization. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:44 PM Flag
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OP: But all preschools are about socialization -- putting a group of people (e.g., 8 kids) in a single room leads to socialization. Kids can learn sharing, taking turns, how to joke with each other, how to help each other, basic manners, etc., WHILE they are learning the alphabet and numbers, and reading opens up a whole new world. It seems to run counter to what the brain craves to not expose kids to instruction at an early age. My son is always asking about letters and numbers and is now really into the Hebrew alphabet as well (which I don't even know at all). But he's also a regular kid who loves trucks and balls and singing. I love that he can do both. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:53 PM Flag
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riiight, but for some people there's no value to doing the other stuff at the same time. i didn't send dd to school at all until she was going to kindergarten, but i recognize that other people see it differently. learning about letters and numbers will come [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:55 PM Flag
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I just think a child's world becomes so much more rich and full when they read and learn words. Not that other things can't offer expansive experiences (e.g., going to a museum, or watching the sunset), but reading and books are a very powerful tool for learning and curiosity at this very sponge-like preschool age. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:00 PM Flag
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1. you don't have to learn to read in school. 2. there's no hurry - you also learn a lot by observing the way the world works. there's really no right answer, as preschool is unnecessary anyway. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:01 PM Flag
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If the teacher is leading the class, even if it's something fun like singing, storytime, or a craft project, the kids aren't socializing. They're learning to be part of a group and do what the group does. When they have free play they have conflicts and learn to work those out. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 03:19 PM Flag
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It's just a marketing term. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:48 PM Flag
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what's the value of teaching kids to read or add before K? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:49 PM Flag
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np: some want to learn, and if so i'd hope school would help. but i agree there's no reason it should be mandatory. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:52 PM Flag
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what are these "actual skills"? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:52 PM Flag
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OP: Skills he's learned or is learning = he knows how to spell his name, he is learning how to tell time so that he'll know things like how much longer he can play before bedtime, he can count (which is helpful in a LOT of ways), he can sight-read words (helping him with books and puzzles, making them more fun). This is the kind of stuff his class is doing right now. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 01:57 PM Flag
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are you trying to drive home the point that your way is the only way, or are you trying to genuinely understand the choices of others? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:00 PM Flag
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OP: I want someone to tell me the BENEFITS of "play-based" preschools. Not just the fact that there isn't a downside. I genuinely want to hear the benefits vs. "regular" preschools. What are these kids getting out of school that my kid might not be? I really want to know! [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:02 PM Flag
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i thougth play-based WAS regular preschool. as opposed to montessori or emilia-reggio [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:15 PM Flag
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I think the benefit is that teaching things like this at such an early age is a parlor trick based on repetition and drilling. Most 2 year olds do not know what time is, don't need to know how a clock functions etc. What they need is to explore with their hands and bodies and learn to deal with their developing emotions. If you push that aside to focus on intellectual adult skills, it will come back to bite them in the end. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 04:20 PM Flag
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My dd is in her 2nd year of play-based preschool. It seems to be working for her. She can do all the things you mention except tell time. On the other hand, she's reading chapter books. I guess she learned these things from osmosis or possibly PBS. She gets to watch up to 1 hr of PBS per day. Anyway, I don't believe that academics should be pushed before kindergarten and I even think that the expectations for kindergarten are a little too high. There's plenty of pressure (and homework) once they get into "real" school so I think preschool should be about all about fun. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:05 PM Flag
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play-based = regular pre-school It is described this way to distinguish itself from Montessori, Academic etc [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:00 PM Flag
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Ok, thank you. I thought there was some sub-specialty of preschool out there that was play-based, as I've seen it in various places. Most even NON-Montessori preschools don't self-identify as play-based, so I figured it had to mean something other than what most consider "regular." [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:04 PM Flag
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It doesn't sound like good marketing to say " we are a regular preschool" so they say "we are a play-based preschool, we follow interests for the child etc etc". Tomato / Tomahto [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:14 PM Flag
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I think one of the benefits is that kids are less likely to get burnt out. Seriously, I have heard from highly intelligent educators that they have seen children who are pushed hard to learn numbers, letters, reading, etc. that by the time they get to first grade they're burnt out. Of course this doesn't apply to all kids, but enough to make it a concern to some. In a play based school, kids still learn too, but the most important thing is to let them be kids. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:44 PM Flag
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Right, but still saying "we are regular preschool" doesn't sound as nice as "play based preschool". It is just wording. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:49 PM Flag
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^^^ have you ever studied Piaget? If not his theory is play is the work of children. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:39 PM Flag
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at our play-based preschool they are teaching "actual skills" by using fun/play/interactive methods. for example if they teach a letter a week, they'll use those Light Bright toys to get the kids to trace out those letters. they're having fun, learning the letter and also refining their fine motor skills (pincer grasp) all at once. they are learning without even realizing it much of the time. just one example. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 02:40 PM Flag
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Why do they need to know letters? Why is this important at all to a 2-4 year old? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 04:21 PM Flag
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or: i'm all for delaying that as long as possible, but learning 1 letter a week the year before kindergarden is fine. it's not pushy, they're not learning to read at this stage as some other preschools push. this is just one experience and it's a good fit for my dd who has known her letters since before 2. she has always pointed and asked what they are so in fact, at this point, she's not even learning them...she knows them. so she's playing, interacting, growing out of her shell (she was VERY reserved) and learning all those social skills. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 04:25 PM Flag
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They're talking about academic style preschools with the emphasis on teaching things like reading at an early age--math too. Not developmentally appropriate at all.. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.03.12, 04:18 PM Flag
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The reason why I'd rather have my child go to a "play-based" preschool is because kids learn best through play. I don't think they need to have academics all the time when they learn so much through interactions with other people and by engaging with the materials around them. This article [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.04.12, 07:15 PM Flag
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that came out today in the Washington Post explains some of the potential pitfalls of a heavily academic preschool (e.g., not enough time to play outside/feeling pushed by parents to 'explain' what their child learned that day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/parents-are-the-biggest-obstacle-to-letting-kids-play-says-study-in-pediatrics/2012/01/02/gIQAeV96YP_blog.html [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.04.12, 07:16 PM Flag
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Have no idea. My dd goes to a "regular" preschool and loves it. Most learning is all about play at that age anyway - it isn't like they are cramming for an exam - they're singing, drawing, participating in circle time, playing with the other kids, doing arts/crafts, etc. Like many kids, she had a curiosity/interest in letters, numbers, shapes, colors and the world around her long before preschool. Naturally those things are woven in to the play/activities at her preschool. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.04.12, 07:31 PM Flag
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I think most people have hit the nail on the head in this post - that kids at this age learn through play. That's what the "play-based" is referring to. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 01.04.12, 08:51 PM Flag
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