Early Childhood Education—Is the U.S. Doing Enough?

Michelle Bachelet used to treat children whose parents had been tortured by General Augusto Pinochet, one of the most controversial military dictators in Chilean history. Today, Bachelet is Chile’s president, and since she took office in March 2006 she has made great strides to insure her country’s youngsters receive a proper education. One of Bachelet’s defining projects has been to provide free access to health and education programs for all Chileans under the age of 4. As part of the education initiative Chile has been building new preschools at an astounding rate of 2.5 a day, increasing the country’s total … Continue reading →

How Long is Too Long for Kindergarten?

My baby begins kindergarten in the fall. Half-day kindergarten. For roughly four hours or so each day, my loquacious daughter will be chatting the ears off of some woman, who probably looks nothing like me, and a gaggle of kids who probably act just like her. Four hours. I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself. NOT! (Can you say three jobs and a never-ending battle with dirty clothes, the dishwasher and dust bunnies?) Still, when I think of how long kids in one Canadian province might have to spend in kindergarten, I’m liking the sound of four hours more … Continue reading →

More about Tools of the Mind

In my previous article I described a preschool program that actually asks children to do some paperwork before beginning to play. The program believes that this paperwork is important because children are no longer able to experience the type of play that once existed. At one point in time children could safely roam neighborhoods and play with neighbor children. The older children would help the younger children learn to deal with and regulate emotions, feelings, and behaviors. The environment was similar to that of a tribe or a pack. However today, we cannot safely let our children roam out on … Continue reading →

Tools of the Mind in Preschool

It is a well known fact that imagination and creative play help engage and strengthen the mind. It is also well known that children get much less of this type of play in today’s world. Our society lives on a world of spoiled children who must do very little in the area of creating their own entertainment. Children are continuously being entertained by parents, teachers, and games. Most stuffed animals now make noise of move. Dolls speak, eat, and even go potty. The imagination part on the children is no longer required. This has become a big concern for many … Continue reading →

Preschooling at Home: My Thoughts

As many of you know, Valorie is our homeschool blogger here at Families.com. While she prefers the home education setting, I am into the public school setting. Although the two of us have some differences when it comes to how to educate our children, we also share many similarities and beliefs. If you have read previous articles from Valorie, you likely know that she is not for formal schooling of children under six years of age. I suppose that I differ. My daughter is in preschool. However if I did not work a full time teaching job, she would receive … Continue reading →

The Importance of Playing with Your Child

Many parents work and have busy lives. Because of all of the activities and chores that must be completed, most parents spend very little time actually playing and talking with their children. Many parents would like to spend more time playing with their children but simply are unsure how. Adults are set in the fast pace of the world and have a hard time slowing down to do much of anything, including taking the time to listen to what children need and want. I am guilty of this myself. It can be difficult to sit down to play dolls or … Continue reading →

Pre-Kindergarten Children on the Bus

As some of you know, my daughter began preschool this year. She is attending a pre-kindergarten program at a private Catholic School in the county in which I live. The private school has pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. While the preschool or pre-kindergarten class is in a separate building from the rest of the school, they still do many activities that the school children participate in. For example, they are included in fundraisers, eating in the cafeteria, computer lab, field trips, etc. My daughter only attends school two days a week. For a fall activity, the pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade … Continue reading →

I Went With My Gut- We Changed Preschools!

As some of you read in a previous article, my daughter is attending preschool two days a week. I had always thought my daughter would love school. She loves to learn and create crafts. She has always loved books and writing. When my daughter began preschool, I learned something very disturbing. Although she is very academically sound, she is also slightly immature or socially behind. I take my children places. They visit family members and fare very well when they are there. My children attend Awana and simply love it. However, in an unknown environment, my children seem to not … Continue reading →

We Went Shopping for Preschool!

Time passes so quickly. It is amazing how fast children grow and learn. My family is no exception. Today was a special day for us. Today, I took my daughter to purchase her first lunch box for school (preschool that is). We also picked out a mat, blanket, and pillow for her preschool naptime. Entering my daughter in preschool is my first educational experience as a parent. Until now, I have always been on the teacher end of things. I am very excited and nervous to begin the adventure with her. She will only be attending preschool this year for … Continue reading →

Early Education on the Rise

We all know that the first years of our children’s lives are the most critical to development. Tennessee continues to add more pre-kindergarten classes to its public schools. Its future goal is to have a preschool program that is available to all children. Massachusetts is also among several other states that are reforming education to include adequate pre-kindergarten and full day kindergarten classes for all children. However, not only educators are supporting early learning. Pediatricians alike will agree that early intervention is important. Dr. Sean Palfrey, former president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, also agrees … Continue reading →