Types of preschool from which to choose
When I sent my daughter to a children's school, I wanted to find the most favorable environment. I chose a wonderful, progressive program in the center of Manhattan. A few years later, when we conducted an interview in the center of town for a school with an electoral girl, the director of the waiting room told me that when my daughter had an interview there, they would check her out. She was expected to draw circles, squares, triangles and rectangles. My eyes opened wide and I said, “But my daughter doesn’t know how to draw them!” She looked at my daughter’s photo and said (rather vaguely): “Oh yes, your daughter went to one of those schools in the center of the city ".
I was offended by the fact that she considered the school she loved so much. But what could I do? Meanwhile, I ran into a neighbor who sent his daughter to a quaint traditional kindergarten. She put her daughter to the same girl. So I told her: “Guess what! Children will have to draw circles, squares, triangles and rectangles to enter. ” My neighbor said, "Oh, Erica can do this." They spend a whole month in the department of the figure in their school. “In fact, Erica has released an endless book about a figure for every large figure (including diamonds!). During this division.
So, when you choose a school for your child, which type of school you choose, remember that there is a test at the end if you want to get a private school or a gifted program. Even if you send your child to a regular kindergarten, she will still be checked in the earliest days for placement in groups with slow, medium and advanced abilities. Some schools prepare children for these tests, while others do not. Honestly, I probably would have chosen the same progressive school that I chose, no matter what, because we loved it. But I would like to understand from the very beginning that at the end there will be an important test, and if the children's school does not prepare my child, I will have to.
Here are the five most common types or philosophies of preschool institutions that you will see: Montessori, Progressive, Waldorf and Reggio Emilia.
It doesn't matter if you look at a preschool in a church, temple, co-operative, private or public program - they all probably took one of these approaches to education.
Montessori
Personally, I love the Montessori schools and urge you to travel one at a time and see for yourself. Not only do children learn a lot, but they are taught not to start a new project until they put the materials they have been working on. My daughter was always very dirty, and I had to think if she could send her to a Montessori school when she was very young.
Maria Montessori began her schools at the beginning of the 20th century as a way to train children with severe backwardness. The materials she created were so effective that they were subsequently used with normally intelligent children.
Montessori’s goal is to establish independence, self-esteem and confidence in the child, while at the same time promoting learning at its own pace.
In the Montessori classroom, the main interaction is between the child and the materials, not the teacher and the children. First, the teacher demonstrates to the children the proper use of each set of materials. The child can then pull out the materials, place them on the mat and use them as her teacher taught. When she finishes, she sets it aside before starting another project. The emphasis is on self-study.
Once the teacher has demonstrated the use of materials, children work on them individually or in small groups. With this level of individual learning, children with learning delays or the gifted often succeed in the Montessori class.
The materials used in the Montessori bedroom are built around three areas. 1) Practical life skills (folding shirts, tying shoelaces); 2) touch (processing of geometric shapes, installation of blocks in the correct holes) and; 3) Language and mathematics (processing of sandwiches and numbers, counting beads on a long chain). As you can imagine, children learn a lot in this curriculum — numbers, letters, addition, subtraction, practical life skills, information, and more.
The Montessori bedroom is usually very bright, warm and attractive. Usually there are several training centers where children can explore practical, tactile materials.
Children have a mixed age, usually between three and six years old, and older children help young ones. Children are encouraged to work at their own pace and build their own knowledge. When they leave Montessori, they cooperate, organize, respect the work of other children and can work independently.
Progressive (for example, "Developed", "Children's Center", "Bankovskaya Street")
This is the program that I chose for my children, and we liked it. The philosophy here is that children should explore and learn through imaginary games, art, and building blocks. The progressive class is usually created as a series of “centers” where training can be conducted using open materials. There may be a playground for fantasy, a cluster of easels with paint, a corner block, a table for water, a puzzle area, and more. Teachers set up these environments in response to seeing that the children are interested. They move between these areas and encourage children to implement their projects and ideas in these centers. The game is considered the "work" of children and is taken seriously.
There is no pre-curriculum that children follow. Since teachers follow children, the fact that children learn from year to year, as well as between morning and afternoon classes, can be different. Children work at their own pace, learning to play. The interaction takes place between children, not between children and materials (as with Montessori). In the absence of prescribed items, children should learn any special skills. In fact, specific training through training is frowned upon. This explains why my daughter did not have a “unit” in terms of figures. This is simply not done in a progressive school.
Social interaction between children is very important in the progressive class. There is a lot of talk about "community". The separation between the child and the parent is seen as an important step in development, and it takes a lot of time and energy. The atmosphere is informal. Children are often called teachers by their proper names, and you will never find forms in such programs. The school is usually more relaxed when the child needs to be trained in the toilet.
Children attending progressive schools are usually more independent, curious, creative, and can ask questions. They often win more on problem solving and curiosity tests, but lower on IQ tests. If your child needs to be tested in a private school or gifted program after attending a progressive school, you will want to make sure that he has won all the abilities that will evaluate IQ tests.
In a traditional classroom, there is a structured curriculum with specific goals for children. The goals are built around teaching children how to use mathematics, letters, numbers, sounds, forms, problem solving, classification, listening, etc. Conversation around the water table is likely to be a teacher, not a child. Here, teachers instruct, guide, explain, and organize each lesson. Children learn from their teachers, not from their own research.
In this type of bedroom, all children are likely to work simultaneously with the same activity. For example, on Thanksgiving, they can all work to collect pre-cut construction paper to make turkeys. The emphasis will be on the finished product rather than on the process. If you enter the bedroom and see a bulletin board with 20 matching turkeys, you are probably in a traditional school. In this type of school, children can work with worksheets to learn math and writing. The emphasis is on school readiness.
Of course, there may be a period of free choice, but more attention is paid to formal learning. The children call teachers Mrs X or Miss Y. You can find a uniform or dress code at such a school. In the traditional program, they will strictly ensure that your child is trained before the age of three. Studies have shown that children attending traditional schools are less aggressive towards people, are more task oriented and do better on IQ tests and achievements. On the other hand, they demonstrate less independence and initiative, their game is not so creative, and they score fewer points on the tests of creativity.
Waldorf schools
Developed by Rudolf Steiner in 1919, Waldorf’s programs are aimed at raising the whole child — head, heart, and hand. Classrooms are warm and homely, creative play is the order of the day, with a strong dose of teamwork and community. The teacher stays with the same class from pre-school to eighth grade, which leads to a strong relationship when the teacher really knows your child.
Training includes hands, cooking, art projects, storytelling, singing, puppet shows, outfits and games. Scientists are not emphasized in the early years, with readiness to read, beginning in kindergarten, and actual instruction, starting from the first grade. The “core lessons” are taught in blocks from 1.5 to 3 hours a day, with each subject blocking the last 3-5 weeks. Thus, children study the curriculum as deeply and brighter as possible. The activity, which is regarded as additional services in many schools, is the basis of Waldorf’s philosophy of art, gardening and a foreign language. In the early years, a lot of learning happens through art, not lectures and learning. All the kids knit and play on the recorder.
In the early years, textbooks are not used in Waldorf schools. Instead, children have their “core lessons”, which are filled during the year, recording their experiences. Later textbooks are introduced for certain classes, such as math and grammar. Grades start just before high school. Instead, teachers write detailed reports on the development and progress of each child.
The use of electronic media by young children, especially television, is not encouraged in Waldorf schools.
Reggio Emilia Schools
Loris Malaguzzi founded the Reggio Emilia approach in a city in Italy called Reggio Emilia. Newsweek magazine named them the best preschool institutions in the world in 1991. Their approach views children as competent, inventive, curious, creative and inventive.
At Reggio Emilia, teachers pay close attention to appearance and class, which is often called the “third teacher.” The goal is to create a room that is beautiful, joyful, attractive and stimulating. Children work, as well as collections of leaves or rocks, collected by them from field trips. There is natural light, plants, mirrors, photos and children's work to attract attention. There are different centers in the whole class. They are dedicated to drama, art, writing, sand / water, reading, math, manipulation, blocks and science. A lot of thought goes to the design of the Reggio Emilia class to support their multisensory approach to learning.
After the teacher organizes the classroom in a way that is rich in possibilities, she invites children to explore and solve problems. Watching the children, she studies what they are interested in and uses this information to work as a resource for them, asking them questions, revealing their ideas, helping them to identify hypotheses and theories for testing. No pre-installed training program. Teachers and parents are considered partners in learning with children. Teachers document children's discussions, observations, and actions with notes, videos, and photos. This makes learning visible, helping parents understand what their children are doing, teachers better understand children, and children see that their work is valued.
Long-term projects emerge from spontaneous play and research with children. They can last from several days to several months. Depending on the interests of the children, themes for projects are decided (with the indication of the children). Teachers bring materials, books, questions and opportunities for children to continue studying the topic. Intelligence can take place through flying, discussion, drawing, sculpture, puppet theater, drama, shadow and dramatic play and writing.
Combined Schools
Some schools use a mixture of the approaches mentioned above. You can find a program that uses the “best” Montessori, as well as a lot of time for separation and socialization, which could not be done by a pure Montessori school. Some very structured and traditional schools will include several elements that are progressing in their curriculum and say that they are a combinational school. This will not be a true combination approach, unless teachers allow academic work to grow out of children. interests
How do you know which educational philosophy follows school? Look at their materials. Ask when you visit. But above all, watch when you visit. Many schools very clearly understand who they are and in what philosophy they follow. Other directors will tell you that they are a mixture of progressive and traditional, but when you watch, you will clearly see that they are one or the other.
Children attending a traditional Montessori school or school are more likely to “graduate” from the kinds of skills that private schools will seek. Traditional schools teach Montessori skills and materials in order to provide their children with their own learning these skills. This does not mean that children attending a progressive school, Waldorf or Reggio Emilia will not receive these skills through the program - many do. But if your child does not do this, you will not be allowed to raise a red flag from the director so that your child cannot draw circles, squares or triangles. These directors believe that children will learn these skills when they are interested and better developed.
One approach is not necessarily better than the other. My recommendation is that you attend each type of school and decide which one is best for you. You may decide that your child is best suited for both traditional and Montessori education. There are other factors that you want to consider when deciding on a preschool institution, but by first exploring different philosophies, you can exclude types of schools that are not suitable for your child.
